


One Door Away

by LaceV



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Bullying, Canon Compliant, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Oblivious, Period-Typical Sexism, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-07 11:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14080131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceV/pseuds/LaceV
Summary: Life as a Royal Guard has been a series of closed doors and rejections but Jul has never let that stop her. And after Coronation day, everyone will finally see that she’s right where she belongs. But when a long-kept secret threatens to bury Arendelle under ice and snow, Jul will have to decide how far she’s willing to go in order to save her Queen and kingdom from destruction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I recently revived this story after a long hiatus on ffnet and decided to post it here as well in order to get more feedback from you lovely people. My story features a female OC as the main character and follows her journey while intersecting with the canon of the movie and its characters. I’ve tried my best to fill in the gaps of the canon material where necessary and I really hope you like my take on things. As always, your kudos and reviews are greatly appreciated so don’t hesitate to leave a note or suggestion for future chapters.
> 
> Important Note: I’m desperately looking for a beta to work on upcoming chapters, someone who speaks English as a first language and is willing to wrestle with monstrous chapters. Hit me up if you’re interested.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or any of the characters in this story except for my OCs.

Sneaking past the guards on patrol duty had been easier than most nights. Six years of roaming the castle grounds for lack of decent company and recreational activities had given her quite the advantage on even the most experienced guards. However it was not the case tonight. In fact, the two young recruits were pacing aimlessly around the courtyard, uncoordinated and distracted by the silent quell of the night to spot the figure streaking past them. Midnight ticked nearer and promised to deliver a day that could potentially change everything. This could be her last night. 

In a few hours the castle gates would open, welcoming foreign rulers and nobles from exotic and distant lands after thirteen years of forced isolation. Spirits were high among the population and the ranks, especially among younger soldiers. They were too young to remember what Arendelle had been like before its port had closed to foreign travel for reasons still unknown to the public. Over the past week, alcohol and women had been the height of conversation at the barracks, to the point of turning the place into a makeshift tavern of sorts when the rowdiest crowd congregated in excited bellows of tune and laughter.

Face twisting in disgust, Jul tuned out the sentry’s voices and stalked towards the east. In the near darkness she picked her way across the courtyard toward the perimeter wall. She slipped past the stables, steering away from the torches set at regular intervals along the wall. Within seconds she was scaling one of the marble columns supporting the roofed walkway that surrounded the castle’’s perimeter. When she was certain that the guards walking sentry were well out of hearing distance, she leapt onto the battlement and dashed ahead. 

The eastern side of the castle stood closer to the walls, close enough to kiss the outer border. It was there that Jul came to a stop and promptly leapt on the wooden railing. With one hand she grabbed the roof of the battlement and jumped. Using the forward momentum to breach the small gap with the castle, she flung out her free hand and found a safe handhold that would keep her from plunging toward her own death. Once her grip on the stone was secure, she did the same with her feet and then released her hold on the roof. From there, she began her climb up the stone walls, finding well-known handholds in the darkness. 

The salty tang of the sea air casted a chilly welcome on her bare forearms and face in spite of the hood that covered it. Summer had so far conceded its fair share of hot, humid weather that every once in a while was brusquely swept away by unusual rainstorms that lasted long enough to leave a trail of unseasonal cold behind. It had been almost two days from the last one, the most violent so far to hit the coast, but the effects still lingered.

Cold and hot weather made little difference to Jul, but she was grateful for the thick layer of clouds covering the majestic globe of the full moon. The darkness concealed her progress up the wall, not just from the ground but from the walkway and the castle windows. It was fortunately a rather short climb, thanks to the peculiar outline of the castle with its many roofs and triangular windows. 

Five minutes later she was within reach of a window on the first floor. She caught hold of the sill and hung by her fingers, listening closely for any sound coming from the inside. Nothing stirred. Freeing one hand, she pulled out a wooden shim from a hidden pocket in her black cloak. Her muscles burned all the way down her back from the strain but she clung on tightly and leaned over just enough to push the shim between the two glass panels of the window. Soon, she’’d found the latch and unhooked it. Swinging one panel open, she pulled herself up by the sill and jumped inside. The thick carpet absorbed the hit and she hurried to close the window before stealing along the hallway and up one flight of stairs. Lamps burned dimly along the painted walls. Their light was barely enough to see two feet in front of her but through the years of experience she could easily navigate through the corridors. 

It was the sudden dipping in temperature that assured her she had reached her destination. A long corridor stretched out ahead of her and disappeared into a dark void. The floors and windows had recently been dusted and cleaned but the stale smell of disuse hung persistently in the cool air like a stark reminder. There was only so much that the sweep of a broom could get rid of after all.

Still panting from a mixture of exertion and tension, Jul slowed her pace. Only one door was set into the wall halfway down the corridor. Its white frame seemed to lean some extra glow to the dim surroundings, reflecting what little light the lamps offered. Reverently, Jul stepped to the door. The intricately painted snowflakes were indeed shining brighter than she’d ever seen them as she pushed her hood back and went down on one knee in salute. The gesture had come unbidden to her the first night. At first she’d felt ridiculous, taking the knee for a panel of wood but all the same, the greeting had stayed with her and in time grown heavy with meaning. It eventually became a fundamental part of her midnight routine.

Tonight the moment felt doubly charged, tinged with hopes and a good amount of fear. Jul’s right hand hovered inches from the wooden frame before gently reaching out to caress the door’s panel. Eyes going wide, Jul immediately drew her hand back at the cold sensation under her fingertips. Looking closer, she noticed the entire frame was coated in a thin rime of frost. With a worried frown, she tentatively touched the door again, all the while wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. Even for this part of the castle, the sight was unusual. It had always been colder up here but never like this and she felt an immediate tug of apprehension in her stomach that she couldn’t quite shake off.

Breath misting in the air before her, Jul allowed her burning palm to linger on the frosted wood just a moment longer before pulling away. Careful not to make any noise, she took up her usual spot below the window facing the Princess’s room.

For the longest time, this had been the best part of her day. Or rather, the only good part. A realist at heart, her expectations had shattered before her first day in Arendelle had even fully passed. Becoming the only woman to ever join the Royal Guard had set her up for a life full of hardships, ridicule and loneliness. The former she had handled with her wits, sometimes also with raised fists when the situation had called for it, but the latter was what had caused more damage in time. With no one to rely on for support, dealing with the cutting jokes, cruel pranks and the constant humiliation had required nerves of steel and self-imposed solitude. In hopes of fulfilling the solemn vow she’d made as a child, determination and ambition had been her lifeline. Needless to say, the road so far in order to keep that vow had been hard and twisted.

Back at the beginning of her military service, the inside of the castle had been off limits to most recruits except for Captain Svendsen, the army leader: only chosen members of the staff were granted access to the upper floors. Learning this had been like a blow for Jul, who had been brimming with energy and youthful enthusiasm. But then word had come to her of a patrol unit that walked sentry on the second floor, the one housing the royal chambers. It was back then that she started hearing the rumors. Some of those had travelled as far as her hometown, most of them strange enough to be soon discredited by most. But within the grounds gossip and superstitions had spread like wildfire, particularly among the soldiers who never got tired of speculating on the real need behind those nightly patrol rounds. Stories had grown wild over the years with talk of ghosts and evil spirits, to the point that most guards refused the post on the premise. Because of that, only a handful of soldiers could be trusted with the task and Jul had immediately jumped at the opportunity of becoming one of them. Captain Svendsen had eagerly accepted her request, thinking perhaps her goal had been to prove her worth and courage. He couldn’t have been more mistaken.

In spite of the ruthless mockery she was under on behalf of her comrades, she had not wanted the post to prove something to them. Unlike many recruits of noble blood and higher status, she hadn’t entered the Guard to make a name for herself or to follow a military career. She’d had no interest in competing with them whatsoever. Every last drop of her energy and every second of her training had been devoted to becoming a soldier capable and worthy of protecting the royal family and the kingdom. At the time, getting close to the second floor had looked like a good start.

For little over a year, Captain Svendsen had trusted her with the task and she’d protected that small portion of the castle with pride and indescribable joy. Seeing the white door for the first time had been a step forward into the life she’d dreamed about as a child. Even things at the barracks had become more manageable, partly because her shifts allowed her to spend less time with her tormentors. But as soon as the waters had calmed, everything had come crashing down with the untimely passing of King Edmund and Queen Lise.

Immediately after their funeral, things had taken a radical turn for the worst. No one but Captain Svendsen had permission to enter the castle and anyone caught disobeying those orders faced a lifetime ban from Arendelle. Jul had spent that whole week grieving from the loss of the kingdom’s beloved rulers, consumed by a sense of helplessness at the thought of both princesses having to face the world alone without the guidance and love of their parents. The black strip of cloth sewn to her uniform had weighed like a ton of bricks on her chest as she had gone about her duties, eyes always drifting up to those windows suddenly so out of reach . She’d spent every waking minute at war with herself, fighting off the rebellion taking place inside her, and her nights shifting restlessly in and out of nightmares. But in the end, instinct had broken through her resistance. Under cover of darkness, she had sneaked out of the barracks, slipped past the sentry lines like a common thief and put her climbing skills to good use. Within minutes she’d been standing breathless in front of the white door, palms scratched and bleeding, trembling with fear and immense relief. 

That night had been the first of many, sitting under the big window until the break of dawn chased her away. Over the course of three years, nothing had ever altered the complete stillness and everlasting cold that permeated the royal living quarters. All alone in the dimness with shadows dancing on the walls from the flickering lamplight, Jul had understood why so many of the soldiers had grown scared of the place. Every little noise had sent her twitching and scanning the darkness for any sign of life. In spite of the discouraging atmosphere, it had taken her little time to adjust the irrational fears plaguing her mind and acknowledge that nothing and no one would disturb her quiet night vigil. 

With surprising ease, she had quickly settled into a routine that felt almost normal, broken only by extreme weather conditions and the occasional night shift on the battlement. Even the unusually low temperatures had become a familiar constant. The source of this coldness had always been a matter of interest among the staff and soldiers who’d experienced it firsthand. Many said the floor was cursed, others insisted the perpetual chill was caused by the ghosts of the deceased King and Queen who haunted the corridors seeking for their daughters. The theories had grown progressively more ludicrous and the lack of sensitivity or restraint toward the matter only fuelled Jul’s rage. How could warmth hope to blossom in a place forgotten by the world, where pain and sadness had for so long reigned unchallenged?

No wonder the cold was so bitter tonight. The room beyond the white door was in darkness but Jul could almost imagine the young woman lying wide awake in bed, terrified at the prospect of setting foot outside her tiny reality. People liked speculating on what really kept the Princess locked away. Jul understood their curiosity. She felt it, too. She’d waited her whole life for this one moment of the anticipated truth but the wait felt insignificant, her desire childish in the face of what the young woman was likely going through. She would never allow herself to forget the insane amount of pressure that weighed on the young woman’s shoulders. No matter how much she wanted to set eyes on the future Queen instead of clinging to a fading memory, she’d be willing to sacrifice that moment and grant her majesty more time to prepare, more courage to face her fears, whatever they were. If only there was something she could do to help, anything at all.

Truth was, she had no clue. In spite of her efforts to show up with regularity, her presence was insignificant at best. Even so, Jul had never bailed, never given up on the idea that even one drop of warmth could spread out and conquer this eternal winter.

Sighing, Jul hugged her knees to her chest as she watched the play of light and shadow on the painted snowflakes. Lately her mind had been filled to bursting with questions. During her six years in Arendelle she’d done her best to avoid certain issues and let others do the talking and whispering, but some things could no longer be ignored. Nobles and townspeople alike wanted answers; they wanted an explanation for why the royal family had barricaded itself from the public. With Coronation Day looming ever closer, they might just get their wish.

The notion was exciting as well as it was deplorable and Jul couldn’t help but feel torn on the delicate subject. After years of forced inactivity, Coronation Day presented her only one opportunity to serve and protect the royal family at the best of her abilities and as such, fully experience the life she’d always dreamed of fulfilling. She could hardly imagine what the castle would be like in a few hours. Esteemed monarchs and dignitaries garbed in their finest waist-coats would be escorted with women powdered to flawless perfection, frocked in beautiful gowns that would magnify their beauty. Booming laughter, ballads and sophisticated tunes would resound within the polished corridors of the Great Hall, the doors finally unlocked for the first time to warmly greet everyone. If there was anyone who wished the cursed isolation would disappear it was her, in spite of the price she’d have to pay. This could be the last night she set foot on the second floor and the thought was tinged with bittersweet emotions. For so long the royal quarters had been her safe haven from the harsh reality of her solitary career in the military. Whenever she felt overwhelmed with raging emotions she’’d take a deep breath and think ahead to the moment night would descend on the fjord. It was then she could pretend to be the soldier from heroic novels she adored so much as a child, the one she’d promised herself she’d become. Up in the little corner of the second floor Jul was free to be herself once again. Finding this place had saved her and helped her connect with the Princess in a way she never would’ve thought possible. Even if the connection was completely one-sided and unknown to the young woman, Jul had treasured her nights like a most precious gift. However the time had come for her to give up her routine for good.

Outside the wind had picked up and howled with intense sorrow, making the windows rattle in their frames. Jul wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, shivering. It was colder than it had any right to be, regrettably foreshadowing a rather uncomfortable and tiring vigil. Jul had been through worse nights before and she had no intention of abandoning her post for five hours of restless sleep, no matter how exhausted she felt after an afternoon spent drilling in the courtyard under Captain Svendsen’s careful watch. Besides, that tug of apprehension in her gut had been nagging at her ever since she’d touched the frost-covered door.

Gripping the fabric of her cloak with tight fists, Jul fixed the white door hard enough to make her eyes water, recognizing it as the source of her unease. She’d lost count of the nights she’d wanted nothing more than to knock on that door and make her presence known but she had never gone through with it. The fear of losing this privileged spot had always stopped her hand short. After all, how could a complete stranger accomplish something that not even family and the closest member of staff had managed in over a decade?

Jul found this to be the hardest truth to live with for some reason, knowing the Princess was internally suffering. But finally things were about to change. Maybe she had been useless up to this moment but the opportunity to prove herself worthy of the uniform she wore had come at last. Coronation Day was more than just the crowning ceremony of the new monarch; it was a tiny opening that had the potential to lead the kingdom out of its forced isolation. If no one had the nerve and courage to take advantage of it then Arendelle would never find peace again and return to its former glory.

The stakes were very high at this point. Jul understood that she might have to put her whole career on the line to make a breakthrough. Scared as she was of losing way more than her beloved routine if something went wrong, she had to put an end to the pain and silence the castle was slowly drowning in. Whatever damage the past thirteen years of guarded secrets behind closed doors had caused could be undone, she was sure of it. Both the kingdom and the Princesses needed a new beginning, a chance at a fairer, fuller life in the open that could only occur if the gates remained open indefinitely.

Jul closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall as her decision fully sunk in. So much had changed in the last six years of her life but she still felt herself burn with the same mixture of determination and recklessness that had initially brought her to Arendelle to chase a dream. It was time to stop being a coward who clung desperately to the past instead of fighting for what she really wanted. The future was waiting just within arm’’s reach, warmer and brighter than ever. She had less than twenty-four hours to figure out a flawless strategy of action, one that would help the woman on the other side of the door regain her freedom permanently, no matter the cost.

“Hold on, Your Majesty” she whispered in the silence, “it’s going to be alright.”


	2. Chapter 2

Jul jerked awake as a loud, incessant pounding on her door aroused her from sleep. 

“Rise and shine, darling!”

Heart hammering against her ribcage, Jul propped herself up on her elbows, darkness devouring her vision as she tried in vain to blink away the tugging grogginess. A combination of laughter and muffled voices filtered in from the other side of the door, a mere screen that prevented her from observing the ruckus on the other side. Jul felt the familiar shift of the cot as it folded underneath her weight. She sunk bank into the mattress with a wave of relief as she finally remembered making it back to the safety of her room. She hadn’t missed waking up to the unpleasant feeling that she’d fallen asleep in the wrong place, and for a moment she had indeed feared the worst. 

The soldiers on morning duty thumped her door one last time for good measure then left to finish their rounds of the barracks with exchanged sniggers. Jul brushed loose strands of hair back from her face and pressed her palms against her eyes with a groan. It had been a while since her comrades had a sudden desire to make her life miserable with juvenile pranks. By their standard, leaving her exhausted and sour with indignation for the day appeared to bring them cruel gratification. 

The last couple of hours were slowly coming back to her as her heartbeat returned to a steady rhythm. Her night on the second floor had been uneventful and cold unlike any other before. She’d sat there huddled, shivering in her cloak all night before surrendering to the inevitable. By the time she had returned to her room at the barracks –– mentally and physically exhausted – she had collapsed on her cot and fallen asleep instantly.

It couldn’t have been more than an hour since then. The fitful doze she had slipped into had only brought on a series of vivid, frantic dreams instead of proper rest. Everything hurt: her arms and legs protested in agony with every shifting movement, sore from drilling all afternoon. The night spent crouched on the floor had ultimately drained her raw. It had been difficult to tear herself away from that white door and she’d ended up staying longer than she should’ve. There was no way she’d ever regret spending time at the castle, but on such an important day she needed her strength and wits about her. One way or another she would have to grit her teeth and pull through.

Light was starting to pour in from the crack underneath her door, bathing the tiled floor in the sun’s warm luster. With an involuntary yawn, Jul peeled back the covers and rolled out awkwardly from bed. In the dimness she could just make out the outline of her bedroom. The vile odor of stale air encasing her surroundings delivered a grim reminder that she actually slept inside a broom closet that had been transformed into her living quarters. Windowless and moldy, the tiny space was only big enough for her bunk, a wooden wardrobe at the foot of the bed holding her meager possessions and a small nightstand. 

Jul stretched her stiff, aching muscles until she was satisfied with the fluidity of her movements. Feeling much better, she washed her face in a stone basin balanced precariously on her nightstand before retrieving her neatly-folded uniform from a drawer. In a matter of minutes she had shrugged off the wrinkled clothing she’d slept in and into the purple and green uniform of the Royal Guard.

As she finished buttoning her coat, Jul went to the door and unshackled the bolts, easing the door open within a crack of space. Blinding sunlight and the voices of fellow soldiers flooded into the cramped space. She turned to tidy the small confines of her room, making sure the bedding was crisp and nothing was out of place. Morning inspections weren’t common practice but it was rash to risk failing one and dooming her chances at the outset. Nothing had ever come easy to her in this place. Even with all her hard work, discipline was the only card she could play in hopes of being selected by the Captain.

There was a broken shard of glass hanging on the left wall that Jul used as a mirror. It took only a little bit of squinting at her reflection before her blazing red hair was bound again into the practical tight braid she preferred. Ready at last, Jul grabbed the cylindrical hat that completed her uniform and headed outside. 

Dozens of guards milled about along the lengthy corridor that housed the soldier’s living quarters. Most of them were headed to the main hall for breakfast while others lingered in small groups, locked in excited conversation. Jul quickly locked the door behind her and started in the opposite direction towards the exit. Meals at the barracks were something to avoid on the eve of important events. Jul had scrubbed at grease stains from her uniform enough times to know when it was better to make herself scarce. Besides, she had a much better alternative in mind.

The castle grounds were more alive than Jul had ever seen them at such an early hour. Gardeners, stable hands and servants were scattered everywhere as she walked hurriedly in the direction of the kitchens. A whirlwind of noise and people greeted her at the back door. Pots and pans were already cluttered along the stove, their contents boiling and sizzling. The exquisite aromas that wafted from the open doorway were overwhelming. Jul ogled at the sight of so much food and so many people at work. Miraculously, she spotted Marcus, the head chef, barking orders at a handful of gangly kitchen boys who cowered under his frightening tartness. 

When the cook finally spotted her among the unbridled frenzy, he paused and regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. On such a gigantic man, the expression looked frightening. However, Jul had known Marcus for years, from before he had been appointed head chef by King Edmund. With his sandy-blond hair and bulging arms and shoulders honed from years as a farmer, Marcus could have easily passed as a Viking, but under his rough exterior and gruff demeanor, a kindred heart pulsed. He was the closest thing Jul had for a friend at the castle, her rock in times of trouble.

Without a word or greeting of sort, Marcus disappeared in the mind-spinning chaos around them. He returned minutes later with a steaming cup in one hand and a plate loaded with eggs and sausages in the other. He pressed them roughly into her hands and fixed her with unwavering green eyes.

“Show them what you’re made of, little one” he growled, disappearing once again before Jul could so much as thank him for the food.

The redhead retired to a quieter corner of the kitchen to consume her luscious breakfast. Marcus had gone out of his way this morning, serving her a ration worthy of a king. Knowing that he believed in her made her all the more eager to prove herself. Nervousness forgotten, she scoffed down her food, praying that it would be enough to keep her going at least for a while. 

Ten minutes later she was rushing back outside. Many of the guards were already gathered in the wide expanse of the courtyard outside the barracks where the troops had orders to assemble. Jul could feel their scornful eyes fastening on her, monitoring her every movement. It was no secret that many of her comrades harbored such disdain towards her; it was a mutual resentment fueled throughout the years of exchanged fists and insults. But Jul had far more pressing matters to worry about and paid them no mind. Her gaze instead flickered to the windows of the second floor. They weren’t the same windows leading to the Princesses’ rooms but the sight was enough to fill her with anticipation and tension.

“Guards, at attention!”

Jul nearly started at the sudden order but quickly recovered, dashing towards the front row where the Captain would surely see her. With trembling hands she straightened her cap and then assumed a rigid stance. When everyone around her was finally in position, the courtyard went quiet. Seconds passed in tense silence that was eventually broken by the sound of boots clicking on the cobblestones. At the corner of her vision, Jul saw the unmistakable, imposing figure of Captain Svendsen. The officer advanced on the rounded troops with deliberately small steps, his sharp gaze assessing the state of his men. He walked the entire length of the formation, doubling back to the center of the courtyard where he had a seamless view of his force.

“Soldiers of Arendelle” the Captain began in a rumbling, deep voice that had once carried across battlefields, “today marks a very important moment in the history of our kingdom and we are called upon to prove the strength and might of our land to our foreign guests. Monarchs and dignitaries from the largest and most powerful kingdoms will be arriving presently and I expect nothing but the most impeccable service from every one of you. The time has come for us to emerge from the narrow confines of these walls. We must carry out our duties with the efficiency our army has always been renowned for and show our future Queen that she can rely on our support and protection. Should anyone stand out of line or fail to follow orders, they will face consequences of the utmost severity. Understood!” he bellowed.

“Yes, sir!” thundered the troops in unison.

Cold sweat broke out on the small of Jul’s back. If these were the Captain’s conditions, there might not be a way back from where her plans were bound to lead her. 

“Now, listen carefully” Captain Svendsen continued. “As you all know, you will be divided into three units according to your strengths, merits and the commitment shown over the years to the Guard.” Murmurs rose from the rear of the assembled guards but were swiftly silenced by the Captain’s lethal glare. “The first group will operate under my command and will comprise fifteen soldiers – the very best among you – who will focus exclusively on ensuring Princess Elsa’s safety. Colonel Larsen will lead the second unit and supervise the operations at the docks while the last group will secure the perimeter and patrol the grounds under the careful watch of Sergeant Reenberg. Whatever group you are assigned to, it’s important that you all do your part in making this day a success.”

Captain Svendsen nodded to the sharply presented man behind him who promptly handed him a thick roll of parchment. The sight of Lieutenant Drost with the list grasped firmly in his hands sent a ripple of fear down Jul’s spine and she stiffened, feeling her certainties waver all of a sudden. She wondered briefly what it was like to possess the power to decide everyone’’s future, Jul’s future. After years of countless sacrifices her name had to be on that first team, even if that slimy, discriminating pig had personally penned that list. With mounting trepidation, she watched Captain Svendsen unroll the parchment and announce the names of the selected few who’’d have the honor of serving the future Queen from up close. 

“Holt, Naess, Hansen, Nasberg…” Jul held her breath, schooling her expression into a calm blankness to hide her growing anxiety. She knew those names and whom they belonged to. She also knew who had earned the right to be on that list but the names weren’t yet, if ever, to be pronounced. An awful coldness began to settle into Jul’s chest as the Captain announced the last three soldiers to join the group, “Jakobsen, Hjorth and Mathisen.” 

The touch of finality in the man’s voice crushed Jul’s heart and dreams in a single blow. Something inside her had shattered. It couldn’t be true; six years of painful endurance had suddenly dissolved in the blink of an eye. Her throat swelled. It had taken one list, one single moment to completely unravel everything she had worked so hard for, only to callously slip through her fingers in a cruel twist of fate. All this talk of merits and commitment had been a malicious ploy disguised behind the Captain’s truthful words of encouragement. Lieutenant Drost had manipulated everyone till the very end, choosing the very same men that had turned Jul’s military life into a living hell. He never had the intention to remotely consider Jul’s place among the high ranks. All this time he had dangled a bone from his fingers, inches away from her grasp, and Jul had ultimately fallen for it.

Deluded and so incredibly angry, Jul could only brace her shoulders and wipe every hint of emotion from her face. She knew the man was watching her and so were the noble, wealthy comrades he’d always favored. She could feel their eyes on her like a swarm of disgusting insects crawling on her skin. They knew how badly she’d wanted this but she’d rather die than give them the satisfaction of watching her fall apart. 

She stood like an unwavering indention in stone, even when the Captain announced she’d be joining the team working at the docks. Lieutenant Drost was going out of his way to get rid of her but she would have the last word. The mere prospect spending the entire day outside the walls filled her with an aching sense of hopelessness and desperation. She couldn’’t leave the safety of the Princesses in the incapable, unworthy hands of those amateurs. They didn’t possess the physical and intellectual capabilities necessary to be trusted with the most important task of all. They were nothing but brainless tormenters who picked on her solely because of what was absent between her legs. Until the Captain said it was over, she would keep fighting.

Captain Svendsen dismissed the guards as soon as he’d gone through the list. The soldiers broke ranks and sound immediately engulfed the courtyard as scattered articles of conversation drifted from all directions. Jul gathered her resolve and started toward the retreating form of Captain Svendsen. It was a reckless, desperate move but she had to try. He was the only one with the power to fix such a terrible mess. 

“Captain!” she called out, sprinting after him. If she lost him in the crowd there’d be no other chance for her to convince him otherwise.

The officer stopped at the sound of her voice and turned. Dressed in his best uniform, the Captain appeared bigger and more intimidating than ever but this didn’t deter Jul as she approached him with iron determination. Surprise and a flicker of interest lanced across his hazel eyes as he gazed down at her.

“I’m really sorry to disturb you, Sir, but I don’t understand why I was left out of the team protecting the Princess” she blurted out at once, knowing the man appreciated her cutting to the chase.

The Captain fixed her for a moment, his face darkening under his thick beard. “The Lieutenant felt some sacrifices had to be made to preserve the overall balance of the team. You’ll have your chance soon, Julia.”

The truth was even worse than the redhead had imagined. How could the Captain still trust a man that was putting his personal interests over the royal family’s safety? Jul didn’t know where it came from but a sudden and powerful vortex of desperation began to occupy the vacant cavity in her chest, replacing her rationality.

“Sir, with all due respect, when is that exactly going to be?” she asked him with a tremor in her voice born from anguish and disbelief. “I’ve been waiting six years for this chance, six years that I spent scraping the barrel of the ranks without a single complaint while everyone around me took their fair share of opportunities and promotions. You know what I can do, Captain. I’m the best fighter you have but how am I supposed to prove it if you keep treating me like a liability instead of a soldier who’s ready to die for this kingdom!”

Jul was shaking, trying earnestly to reign her emotions back in. Desperation had eventually gotten the better of her and she had unleashed all her pent-up frustration on her Captain. She was sure she had gone too far with her words and gotten herself into more trouble but the stunned reaction from the man told her differently. Even though her situation in the Guard was common knowledge, it was clear that her sudden outburst had taken him aback. As he struggled to come up with a response, their exchange was brusquely interrupted. 

“Enough of this nonsense!”

Lieutenant Drost materialized at Captain Svendson’s side, startling both Jul and his superior. The officer’s accusing eyes swept over the young woman with scorn and distaste as if the sight of her alone was an offence worthy of punishment. “How dare you speak so impudently to your Captain!”

Jul was startled by his sudden appearance, a stunned expression gradually registering on her face. “Sir, I never meant –”

“Don’t you dare talk back to me!” Lieutenant Drost snarled with such volume that Jul was sure the whole grounds could hear him. “The nerve you have, bothering the Captain with your nonsensical complaints. A spot at the docks is a lot more than you deserve, Carlsson. If it was up to me, you’d be scrubbing the floors of the great hall with the castle maids right now instead of disgracing the Royal Guard with your unseemly behavior.”

Jul recoiled at the threat behind those venomous words but managed to keep her mouth shut this time. Just because he’d finally said it out loud and admitted his spiteful regard of her, she couldn’t risk her job by succumbing to the overwhelming desire to smash her knuckles into his teeth. Her anguished gaze darted to the high windows of the castle before settling on the Captain’s troubled face. Despite the enduring humiliation, she had no trouble meeting his eyes. She was certain he’d been about to speak in her favor before the Lieutenant had rushed in screaming. 

“What are you still doing here, Carlsson? Leave before I change my mind” ordered the Lieutenant addressing her as one might regard an insect crawling along his shoe. When Jul made no move to leave, the officer closed the space between them with menacing eyes. Before Lieutenant Drost could do anything, a large hand braced his shoulder, keeping him in place.

“Calm yourself, Gunthar” reasoned the captain in a soft tone, his body rigid with tension. Then he turned to Jul and gave her a small acknowledging nod that she didn’t know what to make of. “Next time, Julia.”

Understanding the dismissal, the redhead saluted and walked away in a blind hurry. The whispers followed her like snuffing bloodhounds on her trail until she abandoned the barracks behind her and reached the front courtyard. With the exception of a few sentries stationed atop the main gates, the place was thankfully deserted. Jul took off her hat and walked over to the fountain to splash some water on her face. 

She leaned tiredly against the stone edge and watched her reflection waver on the surface. In a matter of minutes she had broken her promise to the Princess and possibly damaged her relationship with the Captain, all because of a man who couldn’t accept the fact that she was a woman. The injustice of it all was too much to take. A scream tore its way out of Jul’’s throat and she drove her fist into the water, her startled reflection scattering from the surface. Years of sacrifices had served nothing and the Princesses would pay the price of her failure tonight, when the gates would close again and plunge them all back into a world of silence and cold.

Everything was spinning out of control. Jul took deep, shallow breaths and pressed wet hands to her temples, trying to calm herself. Freaking out wasn’t going to help unless she had a sudden desire to pack her things in a bundle and leave. No, she couldn’t give up now, even when the odds were stacked high against her. She would find a way out before the night was over no matter what.

Jul spent a few more minutes basking in the warmth of the rising sun before returning to the barracks in search of her unit. Most of the soldiers were already gathered into three groups that occupied different corners of the courtyard. Jul couldn’t see Colonel Larsen anywhere but she easily spotted her group, a small knot of men stationed at the entrance to the barracks, as far away from the other two units as it could get. Jul understood why as soon as she was close enough to recognize the soldiers’ faces: Lieutenant Drost had gathered every outcast in the Royal Guard, added the greenest recruits to the mix, and discarded them in the only unit that would ensure their absence from the castle grounds for the entire day. It was a vile, discriminating method that perfectly served the Lieutenant’s purposes. 

Fuming with rage, Jul approached her new shift mates. She tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible but all the same several faces picked her out from the cluster like a cow’s raw hide. She was so used to ignoring the stares and whispers that she nearly missed the nods of acknowledgment following her arrival, including a polite hand wave from someone at the back. Dumbfounded as she was by the unexpected welcoming gestures, Jul responded but remained wary. The lack of animosity was extremely foreign to her, almost unsettling. She was accustomed to this sudden act of hospitality. She supposed these men shared her same experience when it came to the young lordlings in the Guard, spoiled men who looked down upon anyone of lower class and status. 

“Gather up, soldiers!”

Colonel Larsen emerged from the open archway leading to the barracks at a brisk pace. Nobody had bothered to stand respectfully before the officer, only shifting to meet his neutral face. Jul was disconcerted but the Colonel didn’t even seem to notice, venturing instead into a brief explanation of their duties at the docks. 

“Alright, let’s make this quick. The Captain wants me to take the lot of you to the docks and assist the guests coming by sea. Our main job is to help the ships’ crew and the guests on board. This will include docking the ships and unloading their cargoes. It’s nothing overly complicated unless you were sleeping during training in which case, good luck” the Colonel chuckled. Several people broke into muttered complaints but their superior went on unperturbed. “The Captain insisted that I remind you to be on your best behavior, whatever that is for some of you – yes, Klaas, especially you. The first impression our visitors will have of Arendelle will be of us so be as polite and efficient as possible. One last thing: if you see anything suspicious come to me at once. Questions?”

The lack of formality had stunned Jul into silence but the others looked very much at ease with it.

“What about that feast in town? Can we go?” enquired a tall youth with hopeful eyes.

“I don’t know anything about a feast” Colonel Larsen replied evasively, adding a wink for good measure. The soldiers exploded into cheers and laughter but were then signaled for silence by the Colonel. “If that is all, I’ll expect to meet the lot of you at the gates in an hour. Don’t be late.”

Jul watched Colonel Larsen disappear inside the barracks, brooding about the ginger-haired officer’s questionable performance. He was nothing like her superiors and he didn’t pretend to act like one either. His methods were unorthodox, there was no doubt about that, but the soldiers respected him and followed him without question or fear. Jul began to understand why she’d hardly been under the Colonel’s command and why all of a sudden he’d been chosen to lead an assemblage of outcasts instead of remaining at the castle with every other high-ranking officer. The Royal Guard – or rather the idea that Jul had of it – was beginning to grind away into dust, a mere memory of a dream. She should’ve realized sooner that the Captain was losing his grip on the army by putting his trust in the wrong people.

In the hour that followed Jul moved back to the front courtyard away from prying eyes. Sitting on the steps leading to the castle’s front doors, she fruitlessly racked her brain to find a solution for her current situation but her current predicament. Too soon she was standing at the gates with her shift mates. Colonel Larsen led them outside through the small side door set into the outer wall and towards the bridge connecting the castle to the town square. For many of the soldiers it would be the first expedition outside the grounds in a very long time and the excitement was palpable in spite of the heavy work load that awaited them. Jul trailed along in silence, listening to the Colonel’s last instructions. 

“After consulting with the Captain, I decided to split you into pairs. Each couple will take a pier. Don’t forget that the guests are you priority and anything that happens on your watch is your responsibility. Good luck!”

As soon as they reached the docks, Colonel Larsen began calling out names from a scroll. Two at a time, the guards detached themselves from the group and took up position at the pier assigned to them. Halfway down the docks, Jul heard her name followed by Nicklas Falk. She saluted formally enough to earn herself quite a few raised eyebrows and followed her work partner to their pier. 

Most of the docks on the southern side were so far unoccupied; theirs was no exception. Far on the horizon Jul could identify the sleek outlines of several vessels, cutting across the ocean towards the fjord. It wouldn’t be long before they reached port. To occupy the time and distract herself from her worries, Jul directed her gaze to her inconspicuous companion. At first glance Nicklas looked no older than twenty: his short raven locks framing the bottomless hue of his eyes, magnifying the air of someone who was best kept at a distance. He was broad-shouldered and slender, a giant veiled in a coat of hard, lean muscle. Jul couldn’t help but wonder why Nicklas of all people would be shirked by Lieutenant Drost but the first few minutes in his company willingly provided an answer. Nicklas was a quiet boy who appeared drained of any trace of menace or danger, instead observing his surroundings with the quaintness of a cat. Jul could sense a gentle, introverted soul hidden behind the hard surface of his skin and it made her feel more at ease than she had in a long time with anyone else. Colonel Larsen had chosen wisely.

Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, relishing the cool breeze blowing in from the fjord. Behind them, the town hummed with the sounds of vendor’s setting up shops and the townspeople communing in the square. People from all over the kingdom would be arriving to join the celebrations and sneak a glimpse at the new monarch. Jul’s chest constricted painfully. It was a crucial day for Arendelle and she was missing out on the most vital moment of all.

“They’re coming” Nicklas warned her, his voice shaking her out of her misery with more pressing matters.

Following his line of sight, Jul spotted three vessels entering the bay. Wordlessly, they both set off down the pier. The first two ships docked on the other side of the bay and immediately began unloading. Right behind them, the following ship sailed past, aiming straight for them. Nodding to each other, Jul and Nicklas took up positions on opposite sides of the pier. Rows appeared on either side of the hull while the lively crew on deck furled all but one sail to aid their captain’s maneuvers. Jul looked up at the flag flapping on the higher mast with a flicker of recognition; a golden sun weaved into the cloth, shining brightly against its rich lavender surface.  Corona.

Orders were fired on deck and immediately a coil of mooring rope was thrown overboard. With deft fingers, Jul snatched it out of the air. Waves lapped at her feet as she fastened it tightly to the post with secure knots while the anchor dropped into the water with a loud splash. Up on deck, voices called out to one another, the captain’s orders ringing higher above the noise. When the boat eventually stilled, Jul joined Nicklas halfway down the pier where the sailors were lowering the gangway for the passengers. They stood to attention on either side of the wooden staircase as instructed.

“Eugene! Put down that brush and come out of there! I will not be late because of your obsession with your hair. Seriously, you’re worse than some princesses I know!”

Jul looked up and immediately recognized the petite brunette standing up on deck. The Princess was dressed in a beautiful, lilac dress, a hand tapping the railing with rising impatience. The source of her distress appeared at her elbow with unnerving calmness in the form of a handsome man wearing the stunning colors of Corona. His sleeveless waistcoat was a rich tint of purple, his frame brandishing a dazzling pair of golden shoulder pads which matched the embroidered symbol of Corona on his chest. With an expression of feigned irritation, the man adjusted the golden sash on his left shoulder and smoothed the trimmed goatee on his chin.

“You should know from experience that my handsome face is key to making a good impression at these social events. It wouldn’t do for our kingdom to suffer unjustly because you rushed my morning preparations.”

The Princess let out an exasperated sigh. “The only one suffering here is me, Eugene. Besides, no amount of preparation is going to fix that nose of yours.”

Her husband – Jul had naturally assumed from the matching golden rings encircling their fingers – gasped dramatically, his hands frantically scouring the surface of his nose as if to check it was still intact. The Princess’s hands flew up in surrender as she marched down the ladder muttering under her breath without casting a backward glance.

In spite of the exchange, they were both grinning in much the same manner as they descended the wooden gangway. Without hesitation, the redhead sprang forward and offered her gloved hand to the small Princess. It turned out to be the wise choice of action. Water had rendered the last steps slippery, a death trap for someone who seemed to be teetering dangerously on the soles of her heels. Jul secured the Princess’s arm just in time to keep the woman from plunging into the bay. 

“Welcome to Arendelle, Your Majesty” said Jul with a bow after she’d led the woman safely back on solid ground.

The tiny Princess finally released her grip on Jul’s arm and looked up at her. She blinked, her big eyes lighting up with wonder.

“Thank you!” she breathed in awe. She turned to her husband, positively beaming. “Look, Eugene! They have women in the army!”

The statement was only partially accurate since Jul was the only exception, but just this once she was content to let it slide. Never before had someone looked so honestly excited to see a woman in uniform.

“I can see that, Rapunzel. A fortunate thing, too. I don’t think it’s an appropriate time for swimming” her husband teased, grinning. His gaze fell on the guards and he frowned in thought. “To be honest, though, I imagined something better from the fashion department of a kingdom prominent for its trades in cloth. I mean, the colors of those uniforms are so drab, the cut so unflattering. I wouldn’t –” 

“Please, forgive my husband” said the Princess, throwing Jul an apologetic smile. She tugged at her husband’s hand, dragging him away before he indulged in any more unwanted comments. “Thank you for your help” she called out.

Jul watched the Princess of Corona walk down the pier with her husband trailing behind her. The young woman reminded her of Princess Anna in so many ways. She imagined the two would get along perfectly if they met today and she truly hoped they did. She’d seen what a toll the isolation had taken on the younger Princess over the years, even on such a strong, energetic person like her. The company would do wonders for her, if only Jul knew how to make it last…

Still baffled by the strange and yet refreshing encounter, Jul returned her attention to the task at hand. Nicklas was already busy unloading gifts with the aid of the ship’s crew and she joined him. They worked in silence for a long while under the beating glare of the sun, dispatching large crates that consisted of the finest casks of wine, oil paintings and gorgeous flowers For the longest time Corona had been one of Arendelle’s most powerful trade partners and the hospitable kingdom had not held back on such an important occasion. It was good to learn certain accords were still respected and valued in spite of the continued isolation that had forced relations to a rather difficult standstill.

“That’s the last of them” said Jul, tossing another sack of apples onto the second wagon, filled to the brim with imports which would be directed towards the castle. The driver raised his hand in salute and flicked the reins, nudging his bay into a walk.

Sweaty and tired, Jul collapsed beside Nicklas at the foot of the pier. Her stiff muscles were burning with fatigue and the feeling only intensified under the uncomfortable weight of her uniform. Beside her, Nicklas had removed his hat and gloves to splash handfuls of water on his face and she followed suit. The fresh water from the fjord was a welcoming respite on her skin and Jul leaned back on the pier with a heavy sigh, a sense of restlessness entangling her mind and forcing the weight of her thoughts back onto her shoulders. 

“Great work back there” Nicklas muttered unexpectedly. 

Jul glanced sideways at him, searching his features carefully for any sign of jest. It was the last thing she needed on a day that was already shaping up to be a complete disaster, but her comrade looked nothing but sincere.

“Thank you” said Jul, offering him a weak smile.

For a while they simply sat there, indulged in their silence, watching the coming and going of ships inside the bay. A deep, scraping metallic sound drew their attention to the castle gates where a long stream of people was gathered and waiting. With a creak of hinges, the double set of doors swung inward towards the excited crowd. As beautiful as the sight was for someone who had known and witnessed the pain that the isolation had caused, Jul tore her eyes away. Within minutes the royal guests would be gathered inside the chapel to witness the crowning of Princess Elsa as the new monarch of Arendelle and Jul felt miles away from where she was supposed to be.

“I’m sorry you got stuck here with us today. For all it’s worth, I think you deserved the honor of serving the Queen” Nicklas told her, surprising her once again. He understood how angry Jul was as he looked down at her trembling fists, bunching up the cloth of her white gloves. “We’ve all seen what you’re capable of and I know I’m not the only one who thinks you make a great soldier. Don’t let the Lieutenant get to you.”

Touched by her partner’s kind words, Jul relaxed and let the tension flow out of her. “That means a lot to me, thank you. It’s too bad you’re not the person I need to be convincing though. I feel so stupid now for thinking that Lieutenant Drost would ever consider me for that spot. I had no idea he hated me that much.” 

“And yet you tried.”

“Yes, for all the good it did” muttered Jul, sounding utterly defeated. 

Nicklas regarded her with thoughtful eyes that were calm and steady. “What changed?” he asked.

Jul blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Until this morning I didn’t even know what your voice sounded like, Julia. We knew you were trying to fly under the radar because of those bastards but it had gotten to a point where it was hard to tell if you felt anything at all anymore” deadpanned the dark-haired soldier. “Then all of a sudden you almost come to blows with the most feared officer in the army trying to talk some sense into the Captain. Why’d you do it? What was so important that you were willing to risk your post for?”

For a moment Jul could only stare at him blankly. It wasn’t just the fact that he’d interpreted her actions with the ease of reading an open book, he was also explaining to her things from his point of view and the sight was confusing and disorienting. For years she had thought the worst of her comrades without exception and she had protected herself by concealing her feelings where no one could dare probe. But Nicklas was painting a completely different picture with his words, one that Jul didn’t know if she could believe.

“I’m afraid it’s a long story” she managed at last.

In the distance, the melodious ringing of the church bells signaled the beginning of the ceremony. The town square had almost emptied. Except for a few vendors and the guards at work, everyone was gathered in the castle’s front courtyard and the silence than hung in the air was almost surreal.

Nicklas nodded and for a while the soldier was quiet and unmoving. Jul thought she’d put him off but Nicklas spoke again, not in the least bit discouraged, and made her the one offer she least expected: friendship.

“This feels like a great time for a story, don’t you think?”

Jul felt her lips curve into a smile that was tinged with a hint of sadness. She’d given up hope of finding a friend in the army within the first month of service. With the exception of Magnus and the servants at the stables she didn’t really have anyone else to talk to and all of a sudden things were changing. The willing subject had arrived several years too late, in a moment when she found it hard to trust anyone at all. He was sitting right beside her, reading, analyzing every doubt crossing her face and waiting with a patience that could only mean he actually cared to hear her story. Jul was free to walk away from the offer and continue with her lonely and miserable life or she could take a leap of faith and risk finding an ally in the midst of so much chaos.

Jul threw one last, longing look at the castle and then started from the beginning.

  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If this huge chapter doesn't make you want to throw your device of chioce out the window, be sure to leave me a comment. Your feedback is incredibly important to me. 
> 
> Before I leave you to the story, I want to remind anyone offering their beta services that I'm currently looking for help. Hit me up if you're interested!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters, its dialogues or its settings.

When the church bells chimed the end of the crowning ceremony, the tense silence that had settled over Arendelle broke into a liberating explosion of cheers and applause. Even at a distance, the joy and relief that seized the crowd were palpable. Jul felt them as clearly as if she’d been standing among them. She understood what kind of weight had been lifted off their shoulders. After three long, stressful years, the threat of a vacant throne was behind them and the kingdom was once again in the hands of its rightful ruler.

There was reason to rejoice and celebrate, as well as hope for a new beginning. However, the crowning of the Queen was nothing but a tiny step in the right direction. Hopes and dreams alone would not be enough to restore Arendelle to its former glory. That much Jul was sure of.

Soon enough, a steady stream of people began pouring out of the open gates amid cheers and chants, hundreds of voices raised together in hailing the new Queen.

From the piers, Jul watched their progress with envy and trepidation. She was anxious to hear what sort of news they were bringing back from the castle and even more so to inquire after what they had seen. Was the Queen in good health? Was Princess Anna finally reconnecting with her sister? What were the guests’ reactions to the new monarch?

At least for the moment, though, her questions would have to wait. Another vessel had just docked at their pier and Nicklas was calling her for help.

Jul rushed to his aid, glancing with gloom at the workload ahead. Stacks of crates and boxes already littered the ship’s main deck and more were on their way as the ship’s crew finished unloading the cargo hold.

Even though lifting crates of expensive wine bottles was quite exhausting, the questions that niggled in the back of Jul’s mind proved to be even more insurmountable. In fact, they were still nagging at her long after the last of the boxes had been shipped off to the castle and they finally stopped for a break. Nicklas tried his best to keep her mind off things by making a few attempts at conversation. It was awkward at first, given Jul’s rusty social skills, but somehow they made it work.

By the time they had completed their tasks it was well past noon. The town feast was already underway and snatches of music and laughter drifted to them upon the wind from the main square.

They’d just settled in the shade of the ship’s massive bulk to escape the oppressive heat when they received orders from Colonel Larsen. The officer was relieving his men of duty for a few hours, instructing them to eat and rest after a hard morning at work.

Jul paused, hardly believing what she was hearing. Was the Colonel out of his mind? Who was going to guard the harbor while all his soldiers were off getting drunk at the party?

“That’s what the watch towers are for, Julia” Nicklas reminded her. “Besides, nothing will happen while we’re gone. Trust me, we’ll be back before you know it.”

And just like that, Jul found herself seated at the noisiest, most crowded table at the feast, sharing roasted meat and ale with a handful of her comrades and the whole crew of Corona’s ship. The meal was a boisterous, messy affair, the likes of which the barracks dining hall had never seen. In no time the sailors had put everyone at ease with their rough, easygoing manners. Arendelle’s younger guards hung at their every word, listening with rapt attention as the seasoned seamen launched into wondrous tales of their distant kingdom.

Squeezed between Nicklas and a burly, tanned man with a curling black mustache who smelled like pickled herrings, Jul ate in silence. The moment was so incredibly unique and yet she was unable to enjoy it like everybody else. If it had been any other day, she would’ve welcomed the unusual company and longed to hear more about one of Arendelle’s most trusted allies. But, as it was, she kept tuning in and out of the conversation, growing restless as the meal progressed.

For the sake of politeness if nothing else, she decided it was best to cut her break short. As soon as she was done with the food, Jul excused herself and left the table amid cries of protest.

The midday heat was stifling in spite of the light breeze blowing off the fjord. Jul hurried along the empty wharves and returned to the pier. Once there, she settled back in the shade of the vessel, hoping the unease she felt would disappear once she returned to her duties.

Minutes into her shift it became clear that the relaxing quiet of the docks would not calm her racing thoughts. Jul wrapped her arms around her knees with a frustrated sigh and squinted up at the distant palace. With practiced ease her eyes found the well known outline of the castle’s upper floors. The tall windows glowed with sunlight, so bright and familiar that Jul’s heart ached, knowing she may never get to see them shine quite like this ever again.

The sudden sting of tears behind her eyelids told Jul she’d discovered the source of her unrest. Between her morning duties and Nicklas’ pleasant company, she’d been too caught up to focus on her backup plan to save Arendelle. Despite that, the issue had been lurking in the back of her mind, demanding attention.

Jul was not surprised by how her mission had resurfaced, nor by the rush of cold fury and despair it had reignited within her. Inside the castle walls, the opportunity of a lifetime was wasting away in somebody else’s hands, the hands of a soldier who had no idea how much more than the Queen’s safety was at stake. Jul still seethed with anger over her exclusion from the Captain’s team. It wasn’t a matter of resentment, though. It was something that went beyond her wounded pride and beyond Drost’s vile schemes.

Last night she’d made a solemn promise to the Queen that things would be alright. It didn’t matter that the woman hadn’t an inkling of such a valiant proclamation.

How those words had tormented her since Captain Svendsen’s announcement off that cursed scroll. With only a few hours left before the end of the celebrations, she didn’t have the slightest clue how to follow through on her promise. The chances of her getting closer to Her Majesty at this moment were less than zero, and lower still, the possibility of infiltrating the castle undetected.

Shaking her head darkly, Jul tossed her hat aside with more force than necessary and wiped sweat off her brow. For a moment she allowed the sea breeze to cool her heated skin and settle her spiked nerves. She wouldn’t be of help to anyone, much less to the queen, if she let her anger and impatience get the better of her. She had to keep her wits about her. Lieutenant Drost thought he’d written her out of the story but she would find a way to play her part, come hell or high water.

Determined to find a solution, Jul embarked on a personal quest for answers that was long overdue. First, she had to start by figuring out the reasons behind the isolation – both the Queen and the kingdom’s, and her memories might be the best place to look. There were bound to be hidden clues buried somewhere in her six years of service. Maybe Princess Anna had mentioned something to her during her brief visits to the stables. Or perhaps she had overheard something at the barracks or from the castle staff that she had ignored or overlooked.

Unfortunately sorting through her memories was not as simple and rapid as Jul would’ve liked. With no real progress to speak of, minutes of pondering quickly turned into hours.

She was still at it when at last Nicklas returned from the party, pacing the length of the wharf like a caged animal, all the while muttering to herself. Miraculously, Nicklas managed to convince her into taking a few calming breaths before coaxing her into joining him on the steps that led down to the harbor.

The respite didn’t last long however. Jul could almost hear the minutes ticking by in the distant clock tower as the pressure mounted. The shadows were gradually lengthening across the village and she hadn’t found one thing that would help her solve the mystery.

_This is a major waste of time_ , Jul thought in exasperation; hours of dwelling on memories only to come up empty-handed. The urgency of the situation and a clear lack of alternatives called for a more practical approach, one that was guaranteed to get her in a world of trouble.

Nicklas’ face said it all as Jul explained to him her new change of strategy. Despite his protests, she still managed to involve her unwilling partner into a one-sided brainstorming session. While Jul would come up with ideas on how to enter the castle undetected, Nicklas would bluntly point out their flaws, while trying at the same time to appeal to her common sense.

As the session wore on, Jul’s plans grew progressively more reckless and wild, to the point where the only thing Jul had managed to convince Nicklas of, was that her common sense was a lacking attribute.

“I’m sorry, Julia, but this game has gone too far. I understand how much is on the line tonight but storming the castle and getting killed in the process is not going to help anyone. If anything you’re going to make things worse.”

“But what other choice do I have? If I don’t go in there tonight and _do something_ , the gates will close and we’ll all be isolated again” Jul countered vehemently.

Nicklas heaved a deep sigh, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. “You don’t know that for sure. Besides, if the gates remain open after tonight’s party, you’ll have committed treason for nothing.”

Sadly, Jul had never been more certain about something in her entire life. After spending so many nights outside the Queen’s door, there was no doubt in her mind that the ending in sight would not be a happy one. She knew better than to be swayed by what she’d heard about the woman from the townspeople after the crowning ceremony; a beautiful woman with pale, blond hair and dazzling blue eyes who had impressed the illustrious guests with her elegance and regal composure.

Of course Jul was happy and beyond relieved to hear that the Queen was in good health. On the other hand, it also meant that something else was at the heart of Her Majesty’s withdrawal, something equally serious. A fact that the townspeople seemed more than happy to ignore altogether. Their lack of concern worried Jul more than she could say. Did these people really think that one public outing would magically fix everything?

A quick glance at the ongoing celebrations only confirmed that indeed they did. Music drifted from the town square, where the tables had been carried away to make room for a band of improvised musicians who played one lively tune after the other. People were dancing, singing loudly and clapping along to the beat in a state of euphoria that was only partly induced by the stack of empty wine barrels that lay empty and abandoned on the side of the road. A part of Jul wanted to march into the crowd and yell at everyone who would listen to snap back to their senses. Another part wanted to spare these people the pain of knowing their newfound freedom might be taken away before the night was over. Arendelle’s citizens had undoubtedly paid the highest price for the kingdom’s isolation. They deserved one night to celebrate, their hearts light and warm with the promise of better days.

The truth was they only had a few hours before the dream of a new Arendelle faded in the distance. Night was stealing upon the fjord with a majestic full moon that seemed to mock Jul’s last, desperate attempts to come up with a sensible plan. Every minute was a slow, torturous descent into despair that offered no escape. Her ideas blurred into one another, tangling into a hot, useless mess without purpose or meaning. There wasn’t much time left to figure out a solution before the royal party came to an end. In fact the citizens were already abandoning the celebrations in the town square and heading for the lamp lit stone bridge. Their voices rose with excitement. Soon the newly crowned Queen would make a public appearance to greet her subjects for the first time.

Jul watched their progress from the pier with envy, drained and exhausted from the intense mental struggle. She felt pretty much at the end of her rope. Hours of useless plotting had gone by and the only thing she had to show for - other than a splitting headache - was the dreadful certainty that she’d wasted the entire afternoon trying to tackle the problem from the wrong angle.

The disastrous brainstorming session with Nicklas should have clued her in. Her biggest mistake had been relying too much on her own strategic and thieving skills. Stealth and wits had served her well so far but they could not be the answer to her problem; not this time. Captain Svendsen’s security measures were designed to be foolproof, as well they should be, so sneaking in was out of the question. That left Jul with the most dangerous, terrifying alternative of all: putting her post and life on the line in order to keep her dream of a new Arendelle alive.

_So much can go wrong,_ Jul thought, taking a shaky breath. Endless terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind but she squashed them before fear could take the upper hand. At this point there was no other way to accomplish the impossible if not with an act of insane courage as well as incredible stupidity. Jul possessed both, and with the stakes getting higher, she couldn’t afford to hold back any longer, no matter what it cost her.

A surprising sense of focused calm washed over Jul as soon as she embraced her decision. In a moment the restlessness that had plagued her all day was gone, and with it, the crushing weight of doubts and responsibilities she had shouldered. Even her aches and pains were slowly ebbing away and leaving her tired muscles. It was like someone had breathed new life into her, giving her a new and greater sense of purpose.

A sudden roar of enthusiastic applause erupted from the castle’s inner courtyard. Instantly Jul was on her feet, heart pounding and muscles taut, ready for action. The royal party was over and the Queen had walked outside to greet her subjects before retiring for the night. This meant that Jul only had minutes, if not less, before the guests would return to their vessels and sail home. Her window of opportunity was closing. It was now or never.

“Julia?”

The sound of Nicklas’ worried voice caught the redhead unawares. Her fellow guard was sitting by the water’s edge, watching her closely in the flickering light of the torches that burned along the docks. Up until that moment her work partner had kept to himself, barely speaking a word in the aftermath of their unsuccessful brainstorming session. Jul had begun to take his retreat into silence as a wish to distance himself from her reckless, treasonous plans but the deep concern on his face proved that her distrust had been misplaced. Once again she’d been too quick to judge him.

Jul shifted uneasily under the intensity of his gaze, torn between duty and comradeship. Although she had no time to lose, Nicklas deserved an explanation before she plunged into the night on a suicide mission.

But Jul never got to tell him how grateful she was for all he’d done.

Screams pierced the night, once, then twice in quick succession. They erupted from the castle grounds – an explosion of countless, terrified voices – before being swallowed up by ringing silence.

Terror tore at Jul’s heart, pure and needle sharp. Heedless of her partner’s cries, she bolted down the docks as fast as her legs would carry her. Within seconds she was sprinting across the bridge towards the gates only to find the huge oak-and-iron doors closed tight.

Cursing, Jul skidded to a halt. “Open the damned gates!” she called out, pounding on them with closed fists.

The blows echoed loudly in the eerie stillness that had settled over the fjord. A handful of long, interminable seconds passed before the wicket gate on Jul’s right swung open with a loud metallic bang and a guard stepped outside. Jul took in the shaking of the man’s hands and his widened pupils at a glance. A fresh wave of fear rose in the pit of her stomach but she forced it back down. Before the guard could react, she made a dash for the small opening, roughly shoving him aside to swiftly vanish through the door.

Nothing could’ve prepared Jul for the scene that met her on the other side of the gates. The main courtyard was packed with hundreds of people, townspeople and foreign travelers, yet the space might as well have been empty. Except for the cries of an infant, Jul could hear nothing but her own hurried steps on the cobblestones. Everyone stood still as stone, silent, some kind of unspeakable horror reflected in their eyes. 

The hair on Jul’s arms stood up on end at the sight but she willed her legs to keep going. She pushed roughly through the unmoving crowd in a blind panic, shoving aside anyone who stood in her way.

When at last the castle’s entrance came into view, all the color drained from Jul’s sunburned face. Wide-eyed, she slowed to a halt. From where she stood, a shimmering layer of frost and ice spread out on the ground in a straight line; it crept up the front steps, snaked around the marble columns, and up the castle’s double doors, thickening into deadly icicles that jutted from the ground like outstretched wings.

There was something unnatural about the scene and it drove spikes of fear through Jul’s heaving chest. Her blue eyes flitted tensely from the whitened portico to the open doors, before resting on the lit entrance that lay beyond them, unguarded. Cold sweat trickled down the small of her back. The Queen was nowhere in sight.

So far all signs pointed to an attack, yet Jul could not find clear evidence of it anywhere. There was no blood on the floor, no casualties or injured to speak of. Plus the guards stationed on the battlement were just as stunned and speechless as the crowd below and Jul had yet to hear a single officer firing orders at his men.

Clearly this couldn’t be the aftermath of an assassination or kidnapping attempt. Something else entirely was going on, Jul was certain of it. And the more she stared at the wintry picture, the more she feared the ice might be at the center of it all.

Hard as it was to trust her eyes not to fool her, she knew she was looking at something that defied the laws of the world she lived in. Magic, mysteries, disappearances, conspiracies; her day so far had had the makings of a very elaborate nightmare. Jul half-expected to be woken up by the sound of someone pounding on her door. She would’ve given anything for a chance to start over and do things differently. But the magic was real and Jul needed to accept it quickly. Such an unpredictable variable put the Queen in even more danger than before. Whatever - or _whomever_ \- had elicited such blood-chilling screams, could very well be behind the Queen’s disappearance.

Jul couldn’t suppress a shudder at the thought of what she might be going up against. The citizens had been so badly frightened that only now they were starting to recover from the shock of what they’d seen. With pale faces and eyes downcast, they huddled in small groups, talking to one another in hushed whispers, their shoulders slumped with resignation as if the hope of a lifetime had just been snatched from their very hands.

From the low murmur of conversations around her, Jul caught arguments, prayers and snatches of what had transpired. Most of it made little to no sense to her but it was clear that the Queen was involved somehow. Her name was on everyone’s lips. The way it was spoken, though, jarred with the many good things Jul had heard all morning from the villagers themselves. The reverence and admiration that had lit up their eyes at the mere mention of Her Majesty’s name were gone, while fear and distrust had taken their place. What could the woman have done to warrant such contempt? And how did the ice fit into it?

Jul could not believe how quickly Arendelle had reverted to the lost, broken Kingdom she had always known. Her worst fears were coming true and the night wasn’t even over yet. If she didn’t figure out soon how the woman’s disappearance and the ice were connected, the townspeople’s sudden animosity towards the Queen would be the last of her problems.

Grimacing, Jul stepped away from the whispering crowd and made a beeline for the open doors without a second thought. Assuming Her Majesty had not been captured, there was a small chance the Queen had fled inside the castle to escape from both the ice and her subjects. If Jul was right and the woman had indeed locked herself into her bedroom, then it was time for Jul to finally take a chance. She was done being afraid of that damned white door.

With one hand resting warily on the pommel of her sword, Jul advanced with purpose. She kept her head bowed and tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible should anyone be watching from the battlement.

She was almost to the staircase when a shining outline appeared at the edge of her vision.

With a gasp of surprise, Jul jerked to a stop. Looming over her was a wall of frozen water, rising into the night like a monstrous wave about to crash down on the unsuspecting. In her haste to reach the front doors, Jul had failed to notice the silent, frost-covered fountain. Seeing what the magic had turned it into, she wondered how. It was impossible to miss the gigantic ice sculpture as it towered over the courtyard with a curved web of jagged icicles that intertwined in midair.

Under its menacing shadow, Jul sensed a great danger as well as a coldness that went beyond any physical sensation. Power coursed through the ice, wild and raw. Even from where she stood, Jul could feel it slithering on her skin, sending chills down her spine, and compelling her to get closer.

Jul glanced back at the open entryway with something that went close to longing. After years of sneaking in through a window like a burglar, the open doors were nothing short of a mirage. They seemed to beckon her forward, inviting her to come inside. But the pull of the frozen fountain was stronger, almost magnetic.

Against her better judgment, Jul found herself turning away from the portico and walking up to the fountain basin instead. With a growing sense of urgency, Jul stepped closer to the ice sculpture, all the while wondering if the magic was doing something to her. She must be going crazy otherwise. There was no way a fountain had suddenly become more important than the Queen herself. Only when she reached out with a gloved hand and touched the basin’s frosted rim did she understand what had prompted her choice. Something about the frozen water felt familiar. It stirred a memory in the back of her mind that she was unable to grasp, try as she might.

The unfocused images lurked behind her eyelids with increasing insistence but the memory refused to show itself. Jul gripped the rim of the fountain tightly, her fingers already numbing through the fabric. While she no longer doubted her instinct, Jul still had no idea what the connection was between the Queen and the fountain or how to find it. Certainly it couldn’t be the ice itself, she figured. Given its proximity to the Northern Mountain, winters had always been long and hard in Arendelle. Jul had seen snow and ice in abundance, especially over the past three years, but never later than early spring.

Or had she?

A small sliver of doubt crept into Jul’s thoughts with the stealth of a thief. Silently, it sneaked past her defenses, past the blocks her unconscious had built over time and made them crumble from the inside. Within moments the images spilled forth in a harsh, relentless stream that raged and churned like a rushing river.

The memory emerged then in vivid detail. Jul saw herself only hours before, standing in front of the Queen’s white door, one hand resting on its frosted surface.

Jul staggered back from the fountain, gasping as if the stream of images had actually pulled her under. Breathing heavily, she stared in numb disbelief at the shining sculpture, too stunned for words. Fear pinned her feet firmly to the ground while her brain scrambled for a simple, logical explanation, anything that would put things back to how they were. But deep inside, Jul knew there was no going back.

Regardless, she steeled herself and drew near the fountain again. She took off her gloves and hesitantly laid trembling hands on the frozen rim. As soon as her callused palms touched the ice, recognition flared in her hands, a cold tingling in her fingertips that raced all the way up to her elbows. The feeling was unmistakable. Jul only had to close her eyes to see herself standing in front of the Queen’s white door, one hand pressed against a patch of frost that just wouldn’t thaw.

Numbly, Jul let go of the fountain as well as the memory. Her last glimmer of hope flickered out like a snuffed candle and left her fumbling in the darkness. She was lost, trapped in a jumble of past, discarded memories unraveling before her. Together they painted a truth that was equal parts terrifying and devastating. The isolation, the secrets, the mysteries and - above all else - the cold: it was all connected, it always had been. And the signs, the same ones Jul had ignored for the better part of the last six years, they all pointed in the same direction.

Jul’s eyes swept over the frozen entrance only to linger on the fountain with a new, grim understanding. Looking at the damage, it was all the more painful now that she knew what had caused it. _Who_ had caused it. Jul could hardly bring herself to put the outrageous thought into words, let alone say it out loud. But even though the soldier in her screamed treason at the top of her lungs, nothing could change the shattering truth finally laid bare in front of her.

The Queen had magical powers.

Jul closed her eyes and took in a rattling breath, struggling for control. The shock of the discovery was raw, devastating. It clawed at her heart with the fury of a cornered beast. The sharpness of its blows overshadowed her emotions until she could feel nothing but a deep, resounding ache in her chest.

It was a pain unlike anything Jul had ever experienced before. And the more she struggled to reconcile understanding and acceptance, the harder the emotions inside of her flared up. For a moment they threatened to consume her from the inside out. Only when she allowed the words to truly sink in, did the tumultuous tide ebb away.

In its wake only a numbing emptiness remained, along with the ruins of a world Jul had thought she knew like the back of her hand. In one moment - the matter of one sentence - everything had come crashing down like a house of cards in the summer breeze; her past, present and future rewritten from scratch, her certainties upended, her dreams buried under a solid wall of unseasonal ice.

There was little that the truth had left unscathed. Jul could feel the change already at work within her, fixing her memories, transforming her thoughts. Nothing looked and felt right anymore. Even the sight of the castle, the place she had called home for so long, had lost its warm familiarity. Its thick stone walls - once trusted friends under the cover of night - rose menacingly into the dark sky with unprecedented hostility. They were almost unrecognizable, unwelcoming, a barrier against foes and friends alike.

Staring up at the massive building, Jul no longer saw the palace she’d always known and loved but an impenetrable fortress where the Royals had kept their deepest, most damning secret hidden from the outside world. Her mind still reeled from the blow that the shocking discovery had delivered. To think that she’d been up there walking these hallways merely hours before, praying for a chance to set things right. Instead the truth had taken away everything, blindsiding her in the worst way possible.

In an instant the hopeful future she had envisioned for the kingdom had morphed into a living nightmare. The worst part was knowing that there would be no waking up from it, not this time. She wouldn’t get to open her eyes to find she had dozed off in front of the white door, with Coronation Day still on the horizon and so full of possibilities.

Even if it pained her to do so, she had to face the truth and put the blame where it was due. So far her attachment and affection for the Royal Family had blinded her but she couldn’t deny the damage that their lies and deception had caused any longer. If the kingdom had fallen into chaos it was because the late King and Queen had betrayed their citizens’ trust, leaving them to bear the consequences of their ill-advised decisions.

In spite of the immense love and gratitude Jul had for the former rulers, she could not bring herself to condone their choices, even if they’d come from a place of love. Arendelle would be the one to ultimately pay the price for their mistakes. It already was.

Jul only had look at the people gathered in the courtyard to see the cracks starting to show. Their faith in the Crown was rapidly fraying at the edges, crumbling under the weight of failed hopes and expectations. After more than a decade of working hard for so little gain, the citizens felt cheated, and rightly so. Coronation Day had given them a taste of a brighter future only to snatch it away with brutality at the very last moment. And to add insult to injury, the illusion had been broken by the very same hands that should’ve brought the kingdom out of recession.

There may not be a revolt with torches and pitchforks underway but Jul knew how much anger and resentment lurked under the citizens’ composure. She’d heard what kind of vile accusations and insults had left their lips with impunity. Some had outright called the Queen a monster, an abomination, while others had gone as far as making signs in the air as if warding off evil.

Their venomous reaction troubled Jul profoundly; it sent her probing the fury and pain lodged deep into her chest, wondering where she stood. After everything the Queen’s secret had exposed, she should’ve been out of her mind with rage, too. Her heart however was more interested in grieving what was lost than to seek vengeance for it.

Jul’s entire world had revolved around the Queen and her sister’s safety. She’d devoted time and energy into watching over them, praying for a day when the isolation would be lifted and they would regain their freedom. She’d almost gone as far as putting her life and career on the line to fight for a future without closed doors, only to find out it had all been a hopeless dream. The woman Jul had given up her old life for, was the one putting the kingdom’s future in jeopardy.

It was such a cruel twist of fate that it took all of Jul’s willpower not to crumble in a heap and give in to despair. Could it really be that the woman she had always prided herself on serving was nothing but a magic-wielding monster?

In Jul’s heart the answer was plain and simple. Although she had not witnessed the Queen use her powers firsthand, she refused to believe that they had turned the woman into a soulless weapon of destruction. That couldn’t be the same person her parents had gone to great lengths to protect, the sister that Princess Anna had never given up on, the tough, brave woman Jul had always pictured hiding on the other side of the door.

The townspeople were no doubt mistaken and only speaking out of fear. The fact that they hadn’t run screaming from the castle grounds said as much. Jul saw proof of the Queen’s innocence everywhere. Except for the damage that the entrance had sustained, nobody appeared hurt or wounded by the ice. Furthermore, the direction and layout of the icicles indicated the blast had been aimed at someone coming out of the castle, someone who’d followed her outside presumably. It could be that the Queen had lost control of her powers at the party and fled, or perhaps the other way around.

At this point Jul could do no more than guess what had transpired. The one thing she knew for sure, though, was that the trail of ice ended at the frozen fountain only to reappear on the unguarded doors of the eastern gateway, beyond which a passageway led straight down to the fjord. On their wooden surface, two unmistakable, silvery handprints revealed the Queen’s passage, and confirmed Jul’s worst fear had come true: the Queen had fled the castle.

_She_ _’s gone_ , Jul thought, choking back a cry of despair. Just when the truth had brought her one step closer to the Queen, she’d lost her again. Only this time there wasn’t a door to keep them apart but a thirty-foot wall and miles of land in every direction.

As much as Jul yearned to launch herself in pursuit, she was loath to admit she would never find Her Majesty on her own at night. By now the woman was probably far enough from the castle to make running after her a pointless risk, if not with the help of an organized search party.

If only Jul had been a little quicker to react, a little faster at figuring out what was happening. Instead she’d failed in her duties beyond forgiveness and allowed the Queen to slip through her fingers.

So much for the elite soldier worthy of promotion. Her entire history in the military was a shameful proof of her shortcomings. Looking back, Jul could only see mistakes and the naive, clueless novice who had spent countless nights outside the Queen’s quarters without ever realizing that up in that lonely, frigid corridor the truth had been staring her square in the face.

With an anguished cry, Jul slammed her fists against the fountain rim, cracking the ice underneath and scaring off an elderly couple standing close by. Her hands shook on the frozen stone, not from the cold or the pain but from the anger rushing inside her.

Deep inside she knew that she was partly responsible for how things had turned out. After years spent looking down on her comrades for not understanding, for lacking talent and purpose, she’d been the one who had ultimately fallen short.

Jul didn’t know if she could ever forgive herself for it. Every night that she had wasted, waiting on some kind of miracle to move into action, had only served to prolong the Queen’s suffering. She could hardly imagine what sort of endless torture the past thirteen years must have been for Her Majesty. All alone in her bedroom, isolated from the world, the young woman had lived like a prisoner in her own home and body. When or why her powers had manifested hardly mattered in the face of the collateral damage they had caused. The magical abilities had robbed the Queen of a chance at a normal life. They’d forced her into hiding, forced her to live in fear of herself and of other people’s judgment.  

A shudder slithered down Jul’s spine as she pictured the young Princess from her memories being confined to her bedroom and told to contain her powers. How scared and alone she must have felt. Jul couldn’t fathom how Her Majesty had held herself together in such conditions for as long as she had without falling apart. Perhaps it had been the fear of hurting her loved ones with her powers to keep her going. Regardless, the woman had put her kingdom before her own happiness and shown strength worthy of a true leader.

Too bad her sacrifice had been for nothing. Whatever illusion of normalcy the Queen had managed to create for the guests, it had shattered under pressure, not to mention in the presence of hundreds of royals and dignitaries. Jul feared their reactions more than the citizens’. If any of them thought the Queen was a threat to eliminate, Arendelle was in very serious trouble.

Lost in her own predicaments, Jul almost started when something wet and cold landed on the tip of her nose. She wiped the spot off with a hand that was frozen halfway through and squinted up at the sky. Her lips parted in a gasp of surprise that was cut off by the touch of big, white snowflakes on her eyes and tongue. Jul promptly closed her mouth, blinking the melting ice away from her lashes. She looked up again and sure enough there was snow drifting down on the courtyard from a thick bank of clouds that was gathering overhead.

Scanning the horizon, Jul wondered whether she had underestimated the extent of The Queen’s abilities. In the distance she could see a menacing storm approaching. Blowing in from the north, it advanced with alarming speed, blotting out every inch of starry sky in its path.

The temperature was dropping rapidly as well; frigid winds sighed in the cramped spaces of the castle grounds, picking up speed and force. In spite of her heavy uniform Jul found herself shivering and not just from the cold. A deep-seated sense of unease and uncertainty hung over her. The future ahead was bleak, whichever way she chose to look at it. In its current situation Arendelle was nothing but a leaderless country on the brink of an internal crisis. And if that was not enough, winter was rapidly stealing over the kingdom while the only person who could reverse the spell and save everyone from an impending catastrophe was lost in the wind.

So much was at stake and yet nobody was lifting a finger to fix the situation. The Captain’s absence was by far the most troubling. Jul had expected him to be outside already, shouting commands left and right in order to put a search team together. However there was no sign of him, nor of the soldiers who had been in charge of protecting the Queen. Who was she supposed to turn to for guidance in a moment such as this?

“Look, it’s snowing, it’s snowing! The Queen has cursed this land! She must be stopped! You have to go after her.”

Jul whirled toward the unknown accuser with nostrils flaring, a response ready on her tongue. At the sight of the man however, her comeback wavered and she ultimately held her tongue. The choice was wise in hindsight. The obnoxious voice belonged to a rather short, middle-aged man in an elegant dark blue tailcoat with gold trimmings. He stood on the opposite side of the fountain, in between two buff gentlemen twice his size, dressed in the same colors of his dress uniform. A toupee of slicked-back, silvery grey hair was attached precariously to his scalp; it bounced against the nape of his neck whenever he moved - which was to say constantly, since his every word was punctuated by a sudden over-dramatic gesture.

Jul watched him with open hostility, slipping on her gloves with more force than was necessary. Rather than the four medals pinned to his chest, it was the arrogance and air of self-importance that marked the man out as a guest of higher status. His efforts to gather attention and play the part of the victim would’ve been laughable if only he’d done so without insulting the Queen in the process. Jul knew that the consequences for harming a guest would be dire but she couldn’t stand by and watch him incite the crowd into a witch hunt.

Before she could spring into action, a young woman stepped in her path and closed in on the foreigner. Jul inhaled sharply and came to a dead stop, straightening to attention.

Princess Anna stood before her, looking stunning in a green, floor-length dressing gown and a black bodice that bared every inch of her creamy, freckled shoulders. Her face was troubled and dark with concern as she rounded on the short man who was accusing her sister of black witchcraft.

“Wait, no!” the Princess said firmly.

“You!” cried the foreign guest accusingly, starting at the sight of Princess Anna. He swiftly retreated behind his two companions, using them as a human shield. “Is the sorcery in you, too? Are you a monster, too?”

“No, no…I’m completely ordinary” the Princess responded hesitantly, clearly taken aback by the open accusation.

Jul seethed in silence, wishing she had the authority to intervene and avenge the offense given. It was then that she noticed a young, auburn-haired man dressed like a lord come up behind the Princess and place a protective hand on her shoulder. 

“That’s right, she is” the nobleman chimed in sternly as if daring the older man to say otherwise. Though as soon as he realized the words were everything but flattering, his confidence wavered and he rushed to add in a gentler voice, “In- in the best way.”

_Nice save_ , Jul thought sourly, frowning at the stranger with suspicion. She couldn’t help but wonder who the man was and what gave him the right to take such liberties with Princess Anna. His fancy clothes suggested that he, too, was a foreign guest but offered no clue as to where he was from. Despite the lack of an emblem or symbol on his pristine tailcoat, Jul could still tell the nameless foreigner had the bearing of a minor lord. After being around soldiers of noble upbringing for quite a while she could spot them from miles. The way they held themselves before people, especially those of lower class, was impossible to miss.

Although Jul had every reason to be distrustful of him, so far he’d proved himself a gentleman by defending the Princess’ honor and reputation. For once it was best to wait and see how things played out.

“My-my sister’s not a monster” the Princess retorted with indignation.

“She nearly killed me!” cried the foreign officer in outrage.

“You slipped on ice” the younger nobleman argued.

“Her ice!”  he countered stubbornly, sounding more like a child having a tantrum than a powerful, respectful diplomat.

Jul shifted impatiently. She was quickly starting to regret her decision to wait by the sidelines. Being a guest might grant this man protection but it didn’t give him the right to insult the royal family with impunity.

“It was an accident,” said the Princess, putting an end to the dispute before things could take a turn for the worst. “She was scared. She didn’t mean it; she didn’t mean any of this. Tonight was my fault. I pushed her, so I’m the one that needs to go after her.”

The words sent a stab of alarm through Jul who immediately lurched into motion.

“Your Highness! Please, wait!” she called after the Princess, darting in between the two guests to stop the young woman from doing something rash. When the Princess turned to look at her in surprise, Jul spoke up before she lost her nerve. “There’s a storm coming, Your Highness. It’s too dangerous for you to go out there on your own.”

“That’s right, you can’t” the white-clad nobleman concurred.

Something other than worry crept into his voice. Jul couldn’t quite place what it was but knew it was directed at her. She felt the man’s unwavering gaze on her like a weight on her shoulders. Still she didn’t falter under the scrutiny and kept her eyes fixed on the Princess instead. As a soldier of the Royal Guard it was her duty to protect the members of the royal family from harm. She couldn’t exactly say the same about him, though, a man who’d set foot in Arendelle for barely half a day, expecting to have a say in what the Princess could and could not do.

“Elsa is not dangerous” said Princess Anna with a reassuring smile. “I’ll bring her back and I’ll make this right.”

Jul stifled a groan. Of course the Queen wasn’t dangerous. In over thirteen years her powers had never hurt a soul. What truly scared Jul was the idea of Princess Anna venturing outside the castle by herself at night. If something were to happen to her, the kingdom was doomed for certain. Even if she was indeed to blame for triggering her sister’s powers like she’d said, it fell to the Royal Guard to go in search of the Queen.

Judging from the frown on his face, the nobleman felt the same way about the whole ordeal and told her, “I’m coming with you.”

The Princess took his hand in hers, a gesture that was suspiciously intimate for two people who’d supposedly just met. “I need you here, to take care of Arendelle.”

In that moment Kai, the family’s most trusted servant, appeared with the Princess’ horse in tow and a green, woolen cloak which he wrapped around her slim shoulders.

The nobleman took Princess Anna’s hand between his own and his face grew solemn. “On my honor.”

Appalled as she was by the Princess’ decision to leave the kingdom in the hands of a stranger, Jul had to push her suspicions aside for the moment. If she didn’t at least try to do something before the woman embarked on this suicide mission, she would never forgive herself for it.

“Your Highness, if you must go then let me come with you, please” she begged. At this point she was beyond caring if she was overstepping. “Those mountains are full of dangers at this time of night. What if you get lost or hurt while you search for Her Majesty?”

Princess Anna regarded her with a warm smile of recognition. “Thank you, Julia, but it’s best if I go alone. Elsa has grown quite wary of strangers, I’m afraid.”

The little spark of hope that flared up when the Princess spoke her name, fizzled out abruptly. Jul opened her mouth to argue, then closed it soundlessly. As much as she wanted to believe that she wasn’t a stranger to the Queen, that the odd connection she felt to the woman was real, she couldn’t deny the truth, no matter how much it pained her to do so. She had no choice but to let the Princess go.

“As you wish, Your Highness” Jul said with a small bow, resigned but still determined to be of help in any way she could. Quickly, she pulled off her thick, worn gloves and held them out to the Princess. “Take these, Your Highness. I’m afraid you’ll need them soon. And please be careful.”

Smiling kindly, Princess Anna took the offered gloves and tucked them on at once. The look of poorly veiled disgust on the nobleman’s face went unnoticed as she mounted her horse and addressed the crowd. “I leave Prince Hans in charge.”

The announcement was met with silence, allowing Jul to hear what the foreign prince said next.

“Are you sure you can trust her? I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“She’s my sister. She would never hurt me.”

The unwavering certainty in Princess Anna’s voice left no room for doubt. Prince Hans looked anything but reassured. Nevertheless he let go of the reins and stepped aside as the Princess nudged her white horse into a gallop.

Jul watched her ride through the gates, unable to shake the crushing sense of dread that gripped her as the horse and its rider disappeared from sight. In a handful of minutes both sisters had disappeared into the night without protection, leaving the castle empty and vulnerable. Suddenly Arendelle found itself in quite a tight spot, isolated and unequipped as it was to face the sudden emergency. Assuming the town survived the change of season, anyone with an army at their disposal could sweep in and seize the vacant throne, taking advantage of the kingdom’s weakened state. If Princess Anna failed to find her sister and convince her it was safe to come back, Arendelle would fall and never rise again.

Shivering from a mixture of cold and fatigue, Jul let go of her troubled thoughts and returned to the present. It was freezing inside the grounds and getting colder still if possible. Clearly the weather was deteriorating at a faster pace than she had estimated. The snowstorm had picked up intensity and a thick curtain of white flakes fell without pause on the palace grounds. Jul’s heavy coat was already damp in places and the icy gusts of wind that blew in through the open gates pierced Jul’s uniform as if it was made of paper.

With a shaking hand, Jul moved to pull the visor of her hat lower on her face in order to shield her eyes. When her reddening fingers met with nothing but damp hair she sighed knowingly, figuring she must have lost the dark green hat on her desperate run to the castle. Violating the dress code would get her in trouble but at the moment she was too chilled to go searching for it. Instead she wrapped her arms around herself for added warmth and joined the stream of townspeople returning meekly to their homes.

As soon as Jul approached the gates, threats and insults rained down on her from the battlement. People turned to stare and point but Jul ignored everyone and kept going, letting her comrades’ words fall on deaf ears. Without a doubt, a detailed - not to mention inflated - tale of her insubordination would reach her superiors before the night was over.

_As if the Captain doesn_ _’t have bigger problems on his hands right now_ , Jul thought bitterly _._ Besides, she wasn’t scared to confront him. She knew he would understand her actions and the reasons behind them. If her comrades went straight to Lieutenant Drost with their complaints however, not even a miracle would save her from paying the price of her reckless behavior.

Outside the castle walls, the wind blew so hard that Jul had to hunch her shoulders in order to keep her balance. She was halfway across the bridge when she caught a glimpse of Nicklas standing in the middle of the road, searching the incoming crowd with a worried frown on his face. As soon as his eyes landed on her, he rushed toward her. In his hands he held her missing hat, stained with dirt and damp but otherwise unblemished. He placed it gently on her head and studied her face for a long moment, betraying only the slightest hint of relief.

They’d known one another for less than a day and yet Jul found herself lowering her guard and allowing her feelings to spill forth.

“She’s gone” Jul whispered at last, her voice cracking. “They’re both gone and there was nothing I could do to stop them.”

Although the words were spoken out of context, Nicklas glanced down at her with genuine sadness and understanding. Jul guessed he already knew what had transpired back at the castle. After all, the fjord itself looked to be in even worse shape. The whole harbor had frozen over like a glacier and every ship moored at the docks or riding at anchor was trapped with no way out.

The bitter irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Jul. After thirteen years of solitary confinement, the Queen had fled the castle and trapped everyone else in the process. Jul doubted the magical winter had been intentional after everything Her Majesty had sacrificed for her kingdom. Still, the town was in grave danger. If the weather didn’t let up, Arendelle would soon be buried in snow, short on supplies, and isolated from its neighboring kingdoms.

Discouraged and exhausted, Jul let Nicklas wrap one long arm around her shoulders. Together they walked back to the docks and returned to their post under the falling snow. Hopefully Colonel Larsen was already on his way with news and instructions from the head of command. Until then Jul’s hands were tied. With a pending insubordination charge on her head, she couldn’t afford to step out of line again. She had to bide her time and keep her head down. The chance to right her wrongs would present itself soon and this time she would not waste it.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Thank goodness you’re here. And perfect timing as usual. If this wretched cold did something permanent to my beautiful face, I don’t think I could survive it.”

Jul knelt by the hearth and stirred the dying embers with a poker mottled with rust. It was so cold and heavy that her bare fingers hurt to hold it upright. “I’ll be done here in a minute, my Lord” she assured Prince Hans without turning. She sure had saved the best for last.

Jul blew on the embers once more. The coals flared red, hissing, and the kindling she’d layered on top finally caught fire with a satisfying crackle. She let out a relieved sigh and splayed her hands out to let the tiny flames warm them. After working an interminable shift without gloves, her fingers were killing her. She’d put in a request for a new pair soon after giving hers to Princess Anna but it had been denied. She knew the Captain had lent some of the Guard’s winter apparel to the guests, but she suspected the sudden shortage had more to do with her comrades trying to get back at her.

Once she had the fire going, Jul reached out for a stack of wood logs she’d set up earlier by the hearth. As she was easing them on the revived embers, a voice spoke from behind her.

“Is there any news of Anna - I mean, Princess Anna?”

Startled, Jul dropped the last of the two logs into the flames. Sparks erupted from the coals underneath and Jul jerked back to avoid getting burned. She looked up then, and nearly fell flat on her backside in surprise.

Princess Rapunzel hovered over her, wrapped up in a long, thick blanket that only left the oval of her face exposed. In the dull glow of the fireplace her big, green eyes shone with intensity despite the dark shadows underneath them.

Jul let out a shaky sigh and stood up, brushing wood shavings from the front of her uniform. How the woman had managed to sneak up on her was beyond her. “None so far, Your Highness.”

Princess Rapunzel’s shoulders slumped at the news and her face clouded. Jul knew she should offer a word of comfort and not just out of duty or courtesy. Unlike the vast majority of the guests she’d met so far, the royals of Corona had welcomed her warmly into their room. They’d been respectful of her role and gender. They’d even dropped formalities as soon as they’d recognized her from their previous meeting at the docks. But most importantly they’d shown genuine concern for the Queen and Princess without feeling entitled to every private detail of their lives.

As much as Jul tried, however, the encouraging words did not come.

“What’s with those faces, mah ladies?” the Prince chided lightly. He walked to the window and drew aside the curtain. A sea of white stretched as far as the eye could see. “Unless Anna’s horse has sprouted wings and learned to spit fire in the last twelve hours, it’s bound to take some time before she makes it back to Arendelle.”

Though wary of his cheery optimism, Jul could not deny that Prince Eugene made a valid point. All main routes into town were blocked as of this morning so Princess Anna might actually be stuck somewhere outside Arendelle. But that would mean the Queen wasn’t with her.

“Your husband is right, Your Highness” Jul said regardless, reluctant to alarm the Princess with more of her worries. “Snow makes for slow travel, especially on horse. We’re working on clearing the main routes as we speak, but I’m afraid it’ll take a while if the weather does not cooperate.”

For a moment the Princess stared out the window with a look of uncertainty, visibly considering their reassurances. The landscape outside was enough to steal hope from the heart of even the most ardent optimist. In fact, Jul hardly glanced outside anymore unless it was to track the passing of time. No need to invite any more dark thoughts and scenarios to take residence in the back of her mind.

“I know that waiting feels like torture right now, Your Highness, but we must be patient and have faith. Princess Anna is quite the resourceful woman. She’ll find her way back home sooner than we think.”

Tears welled up in the Princess’s eyes. Alarmed, Jul went over her words, fearing she’d said something to upset the woman. She looked at Prince Eugene for help and faltered. The man was grinning at her, giving Jul two thumbs up from behind his wife’s back that she didn’t know what to make of.

When Jul dared look back at Princess Rapunzel, though, the tears were gone. A smile lit up her face instead, the same infectious, warm smile that had immediately reminded Jul of Princess Anna.

“Perhaps you’re right, Julia. I fear this ugly weather has gotten under my skin” the Princess admitted. “And, by the way, thank you for bringing us more firewood. I was sure my feet would soon turn blue and fall off” she added, wiggling her toes by the fire with a happy sigh.

From his seat by the window, Prince Eugene let out a scoff that Jul could’ve sworn sounded like ‘shoes’. Princess Rapunzel stuck out her tongue at him and Jul suddenly felt like she was intruding.

“I’m simply doing my job, Your Highness. Prince Hans is the one who’s given us orders to prioritize the guests’ comfort and safety” Jul said with some reluctance.

“How very generous of him!” the Princess beamed.

Jul’s eye twitched. She couldn’t deny that the southern Prince had been quite resourceful in making the guests feel at home. As soon as Princess Anna had galloped away into the night, he’d stepped into power without hesitation. In a matter of hours he’d appeased the rioting guests and avoided a panic among the townspeople who had gathered inside the castle walls demanding answers. Then he had arranged temporary accommodations for the guests as well as for their servants and the crews of their ships. Such work and dedication had won over the Captain and his officials but Jul wasn’t buying it. She hadn’t failed to notice how none of the nobleman’s efforts had gone into searching for Arendelle’s missing royals.

“Yeah, tell that to that nasty tyrant from hell staying down the hall. I swear if sweet old Weasel wakes me up again at the crack of dawn, yelling for ‘a cup of hot black tea that doesn’t taste like burned leaves’, I will shove him and his fake hair into the nearest fire.”

Prince Eugene’s impression of the Duke of Weselton was so accurate that Jul was torn between laughing or paying the dignitary a visit herself.

“Ugh, I hope he choked on that tea. Screaming like a maniac when people – very tired people, I might add – are trying to get some sleep” the Princess fumed.

As the woman readjusted the blanket around her shoulders, Jul spotted something small and green move underneath it, just above her collarbone. She blinked and looked more closely, but by then the blanket had already fallen back into place.

_I must be more tired than I thought_ , Jul noted. Though, admittedly, she was running on no more than three hours of sleep. “If you have no more need of me, Your Highness, I will take my leave now.”

“So soon?”

Jul wavered at the woman’s look of dismay for a moment too long before Prince Eugene cut in and saved her yet again.

“I think Julia has more important things to do right now than staying for a chat, blondie.” He came up behind his wife and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. “But I’m right here, and I make pretty decent company, if I do say so myself.”

“That’s exactly why I was hoping she could stay longer” Princess Rapunzel retorted, pursing her lips.

Prince Eugene gasped and put a hand to his heart, stepping away from his wife as if she’d just stabbed him. Princess Rapunzel only acknowledged his theatrics by frowning and rolling her eyes, before turning to Jul with a smile tinged with sadness.

“Please, ignore my words, Julia. I just…we’ve been stuck for hours in this cold guest room without news from the outside world. I was just relieved to see a familiar face, is all. You may go if you wish.”

Uncertainly, Jul bowed and turned to leave. The Princess’ words started sinking in when Jul was almost at the door. She stopped and looked behind her shoulder at the Princess, feeling conflicted. For years she’d been taught that, following a dismissal, a soldier must keep their mouth shut and withdraw. It was risky to do otherwise, yet Jul couldn’t bring herself to leave in such a manner. Princess Rapunzel and her consort deserved better than what little empathy she’d shown towards them so far.

“Duty calls me elsewhere, Your Highness, but I will try my best to return soon with news. And also -” Jul hesitated, afraid she might be overstepping, but the openness on the Princess’ face convinced her to continue. “Thank you…for treating me like a soldier and for your kindness. Whatever you need, I’m at your service.”

Jul bowed low and swiftly left the room and its warmth behind. She didn’t give herself time to wonder if she’d been too forward. Hunching her shoulders against the cold, she set off for the main entrance.

With it being so early in the afternoon, only a handful of maids and servants scurried about, carrying steaming pitchers and trays of food. The castle was silent otherwise. Jul had to strain her ears to hear anything other than her hurried footsteps on the faded carpet. It was almost hard to believe the rooms were full to bursting with foreign guests, if not for the muted sound of their voices, rising and falling behind painted doors.

When at last Jul reached the main entrance, the foyer was no longer empty. A small group of heavily-garbed men huddled by the front doors, talking among themselves in low voices.

Upon recognizing their faces, Jul frowned and slowed her pace. Advisors were not a rare sight at the castle. Over the years she’d often seen them come and go from either the castle or the Captain’s office, just never so many at the same time. Prince Hans must have called for yet another emergency meeting, which meant more problems had arisen.

Jul approached the front doors as quietly as possible so as not to attract attention. At first it seemed like the advisors had barely registered her presence. As soon as she was within earshot, however, the men lowered their voices. Jul only managed to discern the words ‘lost’ and ‘replacement’ before having to walk out the front doors into the blizzard.

Snow and fleet flew into her face instantly, carried by the wind. Still, Jul lingered on the front steps. Her insides had frozen into one solid block of ice. Relying on two words taken out of context was rash but Jul doubted the advisors had been discussing missing furniture at such a time. No, the filthy turncoats were plotting to put Prince Hans on Arendelle’s throne.

Jul could not believe they were actually considering the nobleman as a viable ruler. He knew nothing about Arendelle, about its trades, its alliances, about its customs and traditions, but most importantly about its people. No amount of advising on their part was going to change the fact that the southern Prince was a foreigner - and a shady one at that - with no claim or remote connection to the throne. Handling himself well in a crisis didn’t grant him succession rights any more than his questionable relationship with Princess Anna would.

Shivering, Jul left the portico and ventured into the blizzard. Scattered around the grounds, fellow guardsmen shoveled without respite in a futile attempt to keep the courtyard clean. The snow was coming down too hard and, the longer they kept going, they higher the risk of them contracting frostbite. As if the infirmary didn’t overflow with patients already.

Jul couldn’t fathom why Captain Svendsen insisted on wasting time and resources on these tasks, when finding the Queen was the one and only solution to the problem. Lately his decisions kept disappointing her, worrying her even. Without his trusted leadership, she had no one else to turn to for guidance.

The entrance to the barracks was deserted except for two guards who chatted while standing sentry by the doors.

“Ah, the prodigal daughter returns at last” the taller of the two greeted Jul, his voice shaking with cold under his black scarf.

His shift partner snorted. “And just in time to hear the good news.”

Jul strode past them without acknowledging their presence, much less their laughter. Their comments however filled her chest with apprehension as she hurried to the officers’ headquarters to report back to Colonel Larsen.

Despite her haste, she took the longest route. Ever since Prince Hans had assigned rooms at the barracks for the stranded ship crews, the building teemed with sailors and soldiers at every hour of the day and night. So far the two groups had shared the cramped living space with almost no complaints, but tensions were rising quickly and fermenting the longer the blizzard persisted. It was only a matter of time before something as small as a lingering look shattered the unspoken truce.

Another guard was waiting just outside the officers’ headquarters when Jul arrived. As soon as he saw her, he detached himself from the wall and came towards her.

Jul glanced behind her shoulder to make sure the hallway was empty and let the guard approach her. He was one of the youngest recruits, a boy barely out of his teens.

“My lady – I mean, Carlsson – soldier!” He stumbled over the titles in a rush of panic, then gave up and relayed his message. “Lieutenant Drost wants to see you in the Captain’s office with the utmost urgency.”

His message dropped straight down to Jul’s stomach where it settled like lead. She’d known this moment would come eventually. She even had a speech ready. The problem was that it wasn’t Captain Svendsen she would have to plead her case to, but to the man who had been trying for years to get her kicked out of the Guard. She would be helpless to defend herself before him and be punished for her crimes without appeal.

The young guard cleared his throat, breaking Jul out of her dark reverie. She found him staring at her expectantly as if waiting for a dismissal.

The hint of a frown was enough to send the youngster scampering away in all haste. Jul turned her back on the officer’s meeting room and set off in the opposite direction. Colonel Larsen was not the type to sit around waiting for reports to come in anyway. Besides, ignoring the Lieutenant’s summoning would only prove she was prone to questioning authority. She’d learned from experience that the longer she had the officer wait, the worse it would be to deal with him when all the cards were on the table.

Dozens of Jul’s comrades lurked in close proximity to the Captain’s office, their faces all but glowing with smug satisfaction. Word of her meeting with Drost had spread fast, it seemed, and they didn’t want to miss what they’d worked so hard to achieve.

Jul tuned out the the murmuring crowd and went straight for the door with calm, measured steps. At her sides, her arms were shaking down to her fingertips. She wanted nothing more than to grab the nearest of these back-stabbing bastards and avenge herself but pride held her back. They wouldn’t see it her lose it. Not again. She would find her way out of this before she surrendered her dream to them.

Jul’s fist hesitated before knocking on the Captain’s office door. She only had a moment to steel herself before Drost ordered her to come in.

Jul tried her best to abandon her fears on the threshold. She took a steadying breath and stepped inside the office.

Lieutenant Drost was lounging on the Captain’s leather armchair when Jul entered. The sight of him behind the big oak desk was disturbing, almost revolting. Jul hoped it didn’t show on her face as she walked before the officer and stood at attention. “You called for me, Sir.”

For a moment the office was silent. Jul could tell the Lieutenant was looking at her by the sound of his fingers drumming absentmindedly on the polished wood. It was one of his favorite ploys but one he’d used too many times on her for it to work.

“Carlsson” Drost drawled, “you sure took your sweet time getting here. Then again, it shouldn’t surprise me that much, since you’ve come and gone as you pleased lately. Or so I hear.”

Jul kept her gaze on the painting hanging behind the Captain’s desk without making a sound. She wouldn’t rise to the bait, no matter what the man said or did to insult her.

Lieutenant Drost chuckled as if her silence amused him. “Let’s cut to the chase then, shall we? I’m fairly certain you know why you’re here anyway. Your comrades have been very vocal about what happened last night, and you understand I simply cannot gloss over the incident. Besides, how could I ever let this chance slip through my fingers?”Drost said. Jul could hear the smile in his voice even without seeing it. “I have to say I was not expecting a cold-hearted overachiever such as yourself to completely lose it over a simple exclusion. I would’ve acted sooner had I known you were that desperate to impress your dear Captain.”

His mocking laughter filled the office. It seemed to be buffeting Jul from all sides like a twister.

Jul clenched her teeth, the muscles in her jaw flexing and tightening. A response burned on the tip of her tongue but she bit it back. Drost was no doubt watching her reaction closely. So she channeled all her rage into tight fists and locked them behind her back, away from his prying eyes.

Still chuckling to himself, Lieutenant Drost pushed back his chair and stood up. He rounded the desk and moved to stand in front of it. Jul had to try with all her might not to step back and lean away from him.

“To be perfectly candid with you, Carlsson, I couldn’t care less why you disobeyed my orders. You’re guilty and that’s all that matters to me. Unfortunately for you, I’m not like that poor simpleton you call a Captain. I see right through you, I always have. I’ve known from the moment you had the gall to show up at our doors that you would put shame on this institution. And finally I’ll get everyone to see it, too” the Lieutenant gloated before sitting down on the edge of the desk.

Jul didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Drost sounded like he had barely warmed up.

“So, I suppose a know-it-all like yourself knows what the punishment for insubordination is. Yes, that’s right!” the Lieutenant exclaimed gleefully when Jul’s stony expression cracked at his words. “But as much as I want to lock you up in a prison cell and throw away the key, I can’t let myself get carried away. After all, where is the fun in watching you fall from grace unless I share the moment with everyone else?” Drost mused aloud. “As soon as summer has been restored you will answer for your crimes. Until then you’ll remain on duty. We’re short on men so there’ll be more than enough to keep you busy.”

Jul had started shivering. She no longer knew if it was out of rage or fear but it got worse with every word that came out of the Lieutenant’s mouth.

“In the meantime, for the sake of satisfying your comrades’ need for justice, I have arranged for you an extra shift in town on the morrow. And before you can think of running to the Captain with your pleas, know that I have men watching your every move. I want to be the one to tell him how his favorite pupil betrayed his trust. He’ll have no choice but to strip you of our uniform and rid us of your presence for good.”

The plan was as twisted and sick as the man himself and Jul had heard enough. She took an angry step forward, unable to hold her rage at bay any longer. “I won’t let you get away with this” she seethed, looking the officer dead in the eyes.

Drost laughed again until tears glistened in his eyes. “Oh, but I will, you stupid wretch. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Your fate is in my hands now.” He stood up and waved a hand in dismissal. “Now get out of my office. Enjoy the last of your freedom.”

The Lieutenant’s response doused the anger bubbling in Jul’s chest with a freezing dose of reality. She stepped back from the desk and from the officer as if the distance would soften his sentence. It didn’t, but the triumphant smirk on Drost’s face saved her from even thinking about giving up. He wanted her to believe she was lost, that he was the sole master of her fate. But he would never own her, not even with a rope tied around her neck and the tip of a sword pointed at her chest. As long as she was free, armed and ready, she would be the one to decide what her future held.

Jul bowed stiffly and hurried out. The crowd of soldiers eavesdropping outside parted before her as if her body was engulfed in flames. They stared as she strode past, their mouths gaping, not even a jest to see her off as was their habit. They had been expecting screams and tears, not a tidal wave of fury, which was proof they really hadn’t learned anything about her.

Once in her bedroom, Jul bolted the door behind her and finally allowed the tension to roll off her shoulders. She didn’t bother fumbling around for a candle on her nightstand, opting instead to edge toward her bed and ease herself tiredly upon the old mattress.

Her whole body ached as if she’d fallen down a flight of stairs. Every movement elicited a chorus of complaints from her muscles all the way down to her numb extremities. Maybe a warm bath might be able to restore some feeling in her hands and feet but hot water - or water in general - had become a luxury granted only to the guests. She might as well resign herself to another night of fitful sleep buried under a pile of clothes and blankets.

Assuming she even managed to fall asleep. The meeting with Drost was too fresh in her mind. His threats still ringed in her ears. Jul knew her body needed rest if she wanted to survive the extra workload Drost had dumped on her, but she also knew that she must come up with a solution to avoid being jailed. Speaking to the Captain right away was the best - if not the only - way to set things right. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’d only seen him once ever since the Queen had fled, she would have done so already. Though, between meetings with Prince Hans and the advisors that lasted hours on end, the incessant briefings with his leading officers, she wondered when that might come to pass.

Jul drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. In the darkness of her room it wasn’t hard to picture what her near future would be like. Remove the bed and the furniture and she might as well be there already.

A sudden knock on the door startled Jul enough to send her heart racing. She stood up and found her way to the door to unlock it. She opened it a crack, barely enough to see who was bothering her at such a time, and found Nicklas standing alone on the other side.

His eyes perked up at the sound of the door opening. “Hello, Julia - oh, I’m sorry” Nicklas said, his eyes on the darkened room beyond her. “Were you sleeping?”

Jul peered up at him, wondering why he’d showed up at her door out of the blue. She opened the door another inch so she didn’t have to struggle to see his face. “What are you doing here?”

A flicker of hesitation passed over on Nicklas’s face. Jul thought her bluntness had unsettled him. Instead he dug into his pockets and pulled out a pristine pair of white gloves. “I know a guy who’s in charge of the storage room. The gloves are probably too big for you but at least they’ll keep your hands warm”.

He held the gloves out to her. Jul took them hesitantly, mumbling a thank you that was loaded with guilt. She’d been so wrapped up in her own problems that she’d forgotten all about Nicklas while he’d gotten out of his way to help her instead.

“It’s no big deal” Nick replied.

It was a big deal, however. Spare clothes and accessories had never been so hard to come by and not just for the most despised soldier on the Guard. And as much as Jul appreciated the kind gesture, she didn’t know what to make of it. After they’d gone their separate ways last night, the last thing she’d expected was for Nicklas to reach out to her again, much less remember she needed new gloves.

For once Jul was at a loss for what to do or say. She stood there uneasily, waiting for Nicklas to turn around and leave. Nicklas however checked the corridor, then leaned in closer and said in a low voice, “I’ve just seen Holt march into the dining hall, boasting that he’d gotten the Lieutenant to kick you out of the Guard. Please, tell me he was lying.”

The anguish on his Nicklas’ face stopped Jul short of closing the door in his face, thinking he’d come all the way from the dining hall just to pry.

“Since when does Holt know anything?” Jul pointed out, feeling more than irritated at the thought. “As if Drost would’ve contented himself with charging me so lightly after what I’ve done.”

Nicklas inhaled sharply and Jul realized too late she’d revealed more than she’d wanted.

“What do you mean, Julia?” Nicklas asked, taking another step forward. “He’s not sending you to prison, is he? Oh, no. I knew I shouldn’t have let you run off -”

“Oh please, let’s not pretend you had any say in the matter.” Jul cut him off so abruptly that he flinched. “And stop making such a big deal out of this. I’ll talk to the Captain and he’ll sort this ugly mess out in an instant.”

Nicklas looked appalled. “But what if you’re wrong and the Captain agrees with Drost? You’ll rot in prison for the rest of your life!”

Jul bristled, unwilling to listen to him question the Captain and his morals any longer.

“So be it. If that’s what I get for trying to do my job then I might as well walk in there myself. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get some rest.”

Without waiting for a response, Jul slammed the door in Nicklas’ face. She pushed the bolt in place and collapsed onto her bed with a frustrated groan.

The covers were frosty and the shivering began anew. As much as Jul wanted to blame it on her freezing bed, she knew there was more to it than that. Nicklas’ worries and wild claims had unsettled her, unfounded they might be. And now she was chilled, wide awake and fuming at herself for doubting the integrity of her Captain.

Huffing, Jul rolled onto her side to free the covers from underneath her. In doing so, she realized she was still clutching the gloves Nicklas had given her in her hand.

In an instant her anger dissipated as guilt took over like a heavy weight that pressed down onto her chest. Jul stretched with a sigh onto her back and opened her eyes into the darkness. She hadn’t been fair to Nicklas, not after what he’d done for her. She’d let herself fall into old patterns too easily instead of giving their friendship a chance like she’d resolved to do.

Maybe it was a sign that she wasn’t capable of committing to anything other than her job. Maybe she should’ve known better than to try.

Either way, it was best she stay away from everyone. With Lieutenant Drost watching her every move, Nicklas would only get caught in the crossfire and he did not deserve to pay for her crimes.

Fumbling in the dark, Jul managed to slip on her new gloves. They were just as Nicklas had said, at least one size too big and as stiff as they were new. But the fur inside was thick and soft, an instant relief for her suffering fingers. Jul kicked off her heavy boots and buried herself deep under a heap of clothes and blankets.

Sleep found her much later in the evening. It was loaded with nightmares of unspeakable horrors; Princess Anna lying bloody and wounded in a forest surrounded by wolves, the Captain locking manacles around Jul’s wrists and laughing while the palace collapsed in on itself under the weight of the snow, a faceless woman with pale blond hair shooting frozen darts at her chest.

Morning almost came as a relief. Jul was the first to show up at the stables, an hour before dawn. Four bleary-eyed stable boys were loading provisions onto the wagons that would take them into town. It looked like Prince Hans had dug deep into the castle’s reserve. There were blankets, heavy garments, firewood, candles and even small rations of food, everything that would help him ingratiate himself with the people of Arendelle.

Jul’s shift-mates turned up minutes before the wagons were full and ready to leave. Yawning and muttering curses at the weather with chattering teeth, they climbed onto the wagon without giving Jul more than a cursory glance or nod. If they found her presence strange or unwelcome, they didn’t let it show.

Dawn was minutes away when they finally set off for the gates. The brightening sky was still heavy with pale, grey clouds that promised another gloomy, winter day. More snow had fallen during the night. Arendelle was almost unrecognizable in the distance - a desolate white landscape that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The streets were deserted, the windows shuttered and the doors half-buried behind piles of snow. Everything was in shades of white and grey, as if the magical winter had bleached the entire valley of color and warmth. Only the clock tower in the center of the village stood out clearly. The hands of its golden clock were encased in ice, frozen in time like the buildings spread out around it.

With some difficulty, the horse-drawn wagons pulled up under an empty market stall in the town square. One by one they all dismounted in a silence that was absolute, almost frightening. Although light filtered through a few of the closed shutters and thin wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, Arendelle looked and felt abandoned.

Jul didn’t let herself linger among the buried remains of the Coronation feast. She grabbed a shovel from the back of the wagon and set to work.

It took her the better part of the morning to clear the streets of the residential area that had been assigned to her. By then she was frozen through, drained of warmth and energy.

Her arms trembled with fatigue as she hoisted the shovel on an aching shoulder and made her way back to the main square. Once there, she found her shift partners huddled close to the horses for warmth. Trembling, they stood glowering at the few villagers who milled around the square.

Jul didn’t need to ask why. The supplies on the wagons were nearly untouched except for a few missing logs and blankets, which meant their work wasn’t finished yet.

“We have to go door to door” Jul told them earnestly after throwing her shovel back onto the nearest wagon.

She might as well have insulted their families seeing how their angry eyes fastened on her.

“The hell we do!” argued the oldest of the group. One of his eye was missing and it made his glare even more pronounced. “Let the folks handle it, I say.”

“That’s right, Torsten. We’re nobody’s servants” said the man on Torsten’s left, looking Jul up and down. “But by all means, Carlsson, knock yourself out. You haven’t got much left to lose, or so I hear.”

Some of the soldiers grunted in approval. Some laughed.

Jul balled her fists hard enough to feel her newly-acquired blisters flare with pain. She was half inclined to give Drost another reason to imprison her when another man piped up.

“Quit running your mouth and look around, Reiner.”

The voice belonged to a soldier returning from the docks, shovel in hand. When he lowered the black scarf wrapped around his neck and mouth, Jul recognized him from his salt-and-pepper beard. He was one of Nicklas’ close friends. “The lass makes a good point. If we don’t split up and deliver this ourselves, we’ll be stuck here all day waiting until our feet fall of. But if you’d rather go back and explain to our beloved and magnanimous Lieutenant why you didn’t do what he asked, _knock yourselves out_.”

The mere mention of Lieutenant Drost did the trick. The smile on Erik’s face vanished while murmurs of agreement rose from the group.

Jul nodded a thank you to Nicklas’ friend, though inside she was seething. If anyone had bothered to listen to her for once, they might be halfway done with their tasks already.

After dividing the rations into eight equal parts, they split up to deliver the goods. As tiring as the task turned out to be, Jul found that interacting with the citizens made it quite more bearable. Aside from having a few doors slammed in her face while making deliveries, the experience was beyond rewarding. The grateful smiles of the elderly and the excitement of the children who gaped at her in uniform, showed Jul everything that Arendelle could’ve been if the Queen had stayed. It made her even more determined to defy Drost’s schemes.

It was barely after noon when Jul finished her last round of deliveries. The sky was still overcast. The sun was but a halo of light hidden behind thick, black clouds. Down by the docks children played in the snow while their parents looked on distractedly, their eyes drifting up to the sky.

At the far end of the square Jul noticed three men approaching on foot, each of them carrying a stack of clothes in their arms. Much to her surprise, Prince Hans was in the lead and two of her comrades followed closely.

Jul stopped to study the nobleman from afar. The Prince handed a cloak from his stack to an old woman who’d timidly walked up to him. Jul couldn’t hear their conversation but the concern on his face appeared as genuine as his kind smile.

When he announced that the castle was open and offering hot food, Jul was impressed in spite of her reservations. It was really no wonder that both the castle staff and the townspeople saw him as a savior and benefactor. Everything he’d done so far had been honoring Anna’s wishes by treating Arendelle as his own.

Under the guidance of many and ever-present advisors, the Prince hadn’t made a single misstep. Not yet at least. Which Jul guessed was enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Her focus on the nobleman was such that she started upon hearing the Duke of Weselton shout at the Prince. The tiny, venomous dignitary emerged from a narrow alley with his two henchmen in tow and marched up to the Prince.

“Prince Hans! Are we expected to just sit here and freeze while you give away all of Arendelle’s tradable goods?” the Duke spat. He was shivering in his elegant dress uniform and doing everything to exhibit his discomfort.

Though startled, Prince Hans recovered quickly. A look of mild irritation crossed his face, the kind that warned he had no desire to put up with yet another round of complaints. “Princess Anna has given her orders –”

“And that’s another thing!” howled the dignitary, gesticulating wildly. “Has it dawned on you that your Princess may be conspiring with the wicked sorceress to destroy us all?”

Prince Hans’ expression hardened at the insult. Jul commanded his self-control. If she’d been that close to him, she’d already have her hands around the dignitary’s neck, daring him to speak another word against the Royals.

“Do not question the Princess. She left _me_ in charge and I will not hesitate to protect Arendelle from treason!”

The Prince drew himself up to his full height, his gaze cold and challenging.

The Duke shrunk back. “T-Treason?”

Jul only had a moment to register the unease she felt at the nobleman’s veiled threat.

From the archway behind her came the frantic, high-pitched neigh of a horse. Tension rippled instantly through the crowd. Conversations and arguments stilled, the children stopped playing in the snow. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

Then came the clatter of hooves on the frozen pavement and finally a white, riderless stallion barreled through the southern archway at a wild gallop. Nostrils flaring, it veered left and right until it found a soldier blocking its path. With terror in its eyes, the horse reared back and whinnied loud enough to rouse the whole fjord.

The bloodcurdling sound went right through Jul, her heart sinking in recognition. It was Snowflake, Princess Anna’s stallion.

Prince Hans was the first to react by stepping in front of the horse with his hands raised. “Whoa, whoa! Slow, boy…easy, easy” he cooed.

With slow and tentative steps, the Prince closed in on Snowflake and grabbed its swinging reins. The horse surrendered easily under his careful touch while a small crowd of townspeople gathered around them. Most had recognized whom the horse belonged to but their reactions were muted, soundless. Not a tear shed nor a wail of despair. Only resignation furrowed their brows. They were mourning the Princess as if she’d already left them.

It was a sobering sight like no other. Jul banished the fear that had snaked around her legs and rooted her in place. Snowflake’s return meant nothing, only that Princess Anna was stranded on the mountains and in great need of help.

In a few quick strides Jul had pushed past the ring of onlookers to find found Prince Hans deep in thought. His eyes were fixed on the northern mountains, his expression hard and unreadable. Then, without the least hint of emotion in his voice, he addressed the assembled crowd. “Princess Anna is in trouble. I need volunteers to go with me to find her.”

“I’ll go!” Jul piped up eagerly and Prince Hans turned to her in surprise. “I volunteer, my lord. Please take me with you.”

Jul gave him a small bow to make up for her outburst and held her breath.

The Prince’s green eyes bore into hers and narrowed slightly. Jul’s pulse hammered in her ears as she willed herself not to falter under his scorching stare. Hopefully the nobleman was only remembering their brief encounter on Coronation night. Because if he’d heard anything else about her then she was done for.

Almost every guard present - as well as two courageous villagers - followed Jul’s example. Even the Duke was quick to volunteer his two lackeys. Much too quickly for someone who had shown nothing but complete disdain for the Queen and her sister.

Suspicious, Jul watched the Duke whisper something to his men. She wasn’t close enough to hear but she guessed they must be orders of some kind. And her gut told her it couldn’t be anything good.

Seemingly oblivious to the exchange, Prince Hans began to assemble a search party out of the many volunteers. Jul stood in line with the other soldiers. Her stomach was in knots as the Prince ran an appraising eye over her and the other volunteers. It felt like she’d been standing there forever when he finally spoke.

“I trust you’re all aware of the dangers of this mission” Prince Hans began. He was testing their resolve and his eyes lingered on Jul the longest, probing, challenging her. Jul stared back impassively until the Prince cleared his throat and continued. “Very well. In that case we should all prepare for the journey. We’ll need-”

“Going somewhere, Your Highness?”

Upon hearing that voice, Jul stiffened like she’d been hit in the back. She looked over her shoulder and found the sound wasn’t just a remnant of her recent nightmares. Lieutenant Drost was indeed approaching from the castle, wrapped in a black woolen cloak that didn’t reach past his shins. With his longish nose and lanky legs, he looked like a raven about to take flight and land on its prey.

The Prince went to meet the officer with Snowflake in tow. “Perfect timing, Lieutenant. As you can see, the Princess is in dire need of help and I must leave at once. Can you spare some of your men for the journey?”

Lieutenant Drost’s brow creased. He swept his gaze over the line of volunteers like Jul had seen him do countless times. His sharp, calculating eyes took in their cold-reddened faces one by one. Jul had nowhere to hide. She could only stand there and watch her hopes vanish into her superior’s delighted smile when he eventually spotted her.

“If I may, my lord, you need my best soldiers for such a treacherous mission. These men are tired, frozen and, to be frank, unfit for the job. Most of all Carlsson, over there” Drost said, pointing at Jul like he might at a heap of horse manure. “That woman is a danger to herself and to everyone around her. Don’t let that face fool you. She already has a mutiny charge under her belt, who knows what else she’s capable of.”

Blood rushed to Jul’s head. It pounded so hard in her ears that it was hard to think. A part of her knew Drost was trying to get her riled up on purpose so she could prove him right. Another itched to free her sword from the scabbard and avenge this public shaming and all the ones before it. Then she saw children watching and many villagers who by now thought she was a demon in uniform, and pride stayed her hand.

“As you wish, Lieutenant. I trust your judgment” Prince Hans replied and Jul could’ve sworn he almost looked relieved.

Drost inclined his head. “Very well, my lord. I’ll have my men be ready to depart within the hour.” He looked at Jul then. His upper lip curled up into a sneer. “Carlsson, make yourself useful for once and take that horse back to the stables. When you’re done, go to the kitchens and fetch provisions for my men. That’s simple enough for you, right? Go, and be quick about it.”

Jul shot him a look of raw hatred, tasting blood in her mouth from a cut on her dry lips. Her lungs ached as if they couldn’t get enough air in, yet she didn’t dare breathe until after she’d taken Snowflake’s reins from Prince Hans. Nothing she could say would get her back on the mission but she was still in time to salvage some of her dignity.

They hadn’t made it more than a few feet before Drost’s voice called out. “No stops and detours on the way, Carlsson. You’re done interpreting orders as you please.”

If Snowflake hadn’t been so tired already, Jul would’ve jumped on his back and shown Drost exactly where he could shove his orders. As it was, she contended herself with ignoring him and leaving the square behind her.

Snowflake nickered softly and nuzzled Jul’s side as if he realized where she was taking him. Jul smiled at him sadly and brushed away a light coating of frozen sweat on his mane. If only he could tell her what had happened to the Princess and lead her there. Instead, she had to wait for a crew of shady foreigners and imbeciles to scale a mountain, find the two missing women and bring them back alive. Honestly, it was like the Lieutenant was setting his own men up to fail.

By the time they reached the gate, Jul’s mind was already swirling with escape plans that bordered on suicidal, the kind that would make Nicklas feel faint.

The thought gave Jul pause instead of amusing her. She could almost hear his voice, listing off reason after reason why she was better off bowing to the Lieutenant’s orders. And the worst part was knowing that Nicklas was right. At this point she would only be choosing whether to die by the sword or at the bottom of a ravine. Staying put, on the other hand, would mean wasting away in a prison cell.

Whatever Jul chose, death awaited her. It was only a matter of deciding when and how to meet it. One thing Jul knew for certain, though: she would make it count.


End file.
